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What are these small white-green foul smelling particles that come back up my throat?
I have had this weird problem for over 12yrs. These small to medium sized white-green particles of "digested food" will come back up out of my throat. It's not vomit, and I don't have the urge to vomit. When I smell them they smell AWFUL! They can also be easily smushed, and nothing is in them. They are just small pieces of smushed whatever. I CAN'T MAKE IT STOP! WHAT ARE THEY?!
Thrush looks more like white film covering the tongue and cheeks that can build up to a "cottage cheese" consistency.
I think y'all are describing tonsilloliths. There are maintenance things you can do to clean around the tonsils but the only absolutely effective treatment is surgical tonsillectomy. There are SOME small cavities in everyone's esophagus but only one primary tonsil & adenoid on each side of the posterior oral cavity. Trapped food combined with the natural bacteria and enzymes in the mouth that breakdown food during chewing can harden. The role of the tonsils is to absorb potentially harmful substances and neutralize them. They are a "filter" of sorts. Chronic tonsillitis can lead to many other health concerns down the road... Including sepsis. If you have tonsils that are notably/uncomfortably swollen, angry redness, white spots only in the back of the throat, inflammation that impedes your ability to comfortably swallow... See a doctor for an appropriate antibiotic. If it is happening on a chronic basis, discuss the option of surgical tonsillectomy with your physician.
I think y'all are describing tonsilloliths. There are maintenance things you can do to clean around the tonsils but the only absolutely effective treatment is surgical tonsillectomy. There are SOME small cavities in everyone's esophagus but only one primary tonsil & adenoid on each side of the posterior oral cavity. Trapped food combined with the natural bacteria and enzymes in the mouth that breakdown food during chewing can harden. The role of the tonsils is to absorb potentially harmful substances and neutralize them. They are a "filter" of sorts. Chronic tonsillitis can lead to many other health concerns down the road... Including sepsis. If you have tonsils that are notably/uncomfortably swollen, angry redness, white spots only in the back of the throat, inflammation that impedes your ability to comfortably swallow... See a doctor for an appropriate antibiotic. If it is happening on a chronic basis, discuss the option of surgical tonsillectomy with your physician.
I've always been too embarrassed to ask about this or bring it up until i heard both my parents talking of this. It's disgusting, as you know, smell and taste is aweful. I have had this since as long as i can remember. Something weird i can do is "swallow my tongue" i can reach my tongue down my throat. i use to choke a lot as a kid and think i learned somehow to do this so my parents wouldnt have to help me constantly,weird ? yes. but i discovered the white things are in the holes/crevices in the glands in the back of your throat. i get them more if i have swollen glands or if i skip brushing my teeth for some reason, i think its plaque from your tongue/food particles that get stuck and grow until they pop out.sometimes when massaging glands in neck they come out, eww.
Also my mom had a case of thrush and had it really really bad and often, the doctor or dentist gave her a plastic tool with a tiny loop at the end that u can stick in the back and get them out. just makes her throw up due to severe gag reflex. idk how it would work because using my tongue they are stuck far back down the back of the throat. so make sure your oral hygiene is superb-thats brushing 2-3x,brushing tongue,flossing at least 1x and rinsing 2x or brush and rinse after every meal if it doesnt get better and happens too much ask your dr./dentist. i work for a (kid)dentist but have never heard anyone bring it up. keep better oral hygiene-i think you'll see an improvement i rarely have it ever anymore.good luck
Also my mom had a case of thrush and had it really really bad and often, the doctor or dentist gave her a plastic tool with a tiny loop at the end that u can stick in the back and get them out. just makes her throw up due to severe gag reflex. idk how it would work because using my tongue they are stuck far back down the back of the throat. so make sure your oral hygiene is superb-thats brushing 2-3x,brushing tongue,flossing at least 1x and rinsing 2x or brush and rinse after every meal if it doesnt get better and happens too much ask your dr./dentist. i work for a (kid)dentist but have never heard anyone bring it up. keep better oral hygiene-i think you'll see an improvement i rarely have it ever anymore.good luck
This is a yeast/fungal infection called as oral thrush.
The most common human fungal infection, oral thrush presents as slightly raised removable plaques (resembling cottage cheese) on the tongue or inner cheek. Thrush can also affect the roof of the mouth, gums, tonsils or back of the throat.
Causes of Oral Thrush:
Oral thrush is caused primarily when there is an overgrowth of Candida albicans, a yeast normally present in the mouth in small quantities and kept in balance by helpful bacteria in the body. Less frequently, oral thrush may also be caused by an overgrowth/infection of the Candida glabrata or Candida tropicalis yeasts, which also are present in the mouth.
Dry mouth, high blood and salivary sugar levels (diabetes), and prolonged use of certain antibiotics or corticosteroid therapy (asthma inhalers) can upset the body's natural balance of friendly bacteria that would otherwise fight off a yeast infection. This allows overgrowth of Candida and leads to oral thrush.
Oral Thrush Symptoms:
There are several symptoms associated with the development of the fungal infection. In addition to having a white, yellow or cream-colored curd-like appearance, oral thrush can cause a burning sensation in the mouth, soreness and/or sensitivity to acidic and spicy foods, an unpleasant taste in the mouth and bad breath (halitosis). Scraping the white lesions from the soft tissues (mucosa) of the mouth may cause bleeding and a painful sensation, revealing red and inflamed surfaces underneath.
Candidal infections can lead to a diaper rash in infants that does not heal with the use of ointments (yeast passes through the baby's stool), in addition to a rash in the infant's mouth. Mothers and their infected infants can pass oral thrush back and forth. For a breastfeeding mother, Candidal infection could result in burning, painful nipples. Candidal infections can also cause vaginal yeast infections in women.
Candidiasis is not limited to the mouth and, if left untreated, can spread to other parts of the body (throat, vagina, skin). Although rare, oral thrush can spread to other organs of the body, but this is usually limited to immunocompromised individuals.
Your dentist can diagnose oral thrush by examining your mouth and brushing the lesions away. If necessary, microscopic testing can be used for confirmation.
Oral Thrush Considerations and Risk Factors
A number of factors can put an individual at higher risk for an oral thrush or candidiasis infection. Women who are pregnant, women taking birth control pills and those who experience persistent dry mouth (caused by systemic conditions or medications such as antidepressants) are more likely to develop a candidal infection. Other at-risk individuals include:
Newborns/Nursing Mothers: Babies and nursing mothers must both be properly treated to prevent passing the Candidal infection back and forth. Dentists or healthcare providers can prescribe mild antifungal medications to treat oral infections, and an antifungal cream may be needed for treating the breasts.
Diabetics: Individuals with diabetes have a reduced resistance to infection, so they may experience an increased incidence of oral thrush. To prevent oral infections, dentists may recommend medicated mouth rinses or more frequent dental hygiene appointments.
People with Asthma/Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): The use of inhaled corticosteroids has been shown to increase an individual's risk for oral thrush. This risk can be reduced by using a spacer and rinsing the mouth after using the inhaler.
Denture Wearers: A common contributor to oral thrush is denture stomatisis, which occurs when the gums and soft tissue of the mouth are irritated and inflamed from wearing a denture that doesn't fit well or hasn't been properly cleaned on a regular basis. This condition creates an environment that is ideal for Candida growth.
Smokers: The use of tobacco has been identified as a contributing factor in oral thrush infection.
Immune deficiencies (HIV, Chemotherapy/Cancer Patients): Deficiencies in the immune system that result from chemotherapy, radiation treatments or HIV infection can dramatically change the balance of the protective mechanisms in the body that would otherwise fight off an oral thrush infection. An individual's ability to fight infection determines the severity of oral thrush and the fungal infection overall. Individuals with HIV are prone to severe forms of oral thrush in their mouth or esophagus, as well as spread of the infection to the intestines. Prolonged antifungal treatment may be necessary for individuals with severe infections and/or those who are immunocompromised.
Oral Thrush Treatments
Oral thrush treatment starts with the management of the conditions that caused development of the fungal infection. For example, if you have developed oral thrush as a result of using a particular antibiotic, you should speak with your physician immediately about getting an alternative medication.
If you wear dentures, they should be removed from the mouth at bedtime and thoroughly cleaned. An antimicrobial mouth rinse may also be recommended by your dentist for use as a denture disinfecting agent.
If you are diabetic, you must carefully monitor and control your blood glucose levels. Those who are immunocompromised may need oral or IV antifungal medications to control the Candidal infection on an ongoing basis.
Practicing good oral hygiene is also important, as well as limiting the amount of sugary and yeast-containing foods that you eat.
Treatment of oral thrush depends on the severity of the condition. Mild cases may be managed without medications. Drinking acidic liquids such as orange juice and eating yogurt can help to rebalance the natural bacteria that keep the Candida yeast in check.
Your dentist will develop a treatment plan for you based on your specific condition and the nature of your oral thrush infection. Medications used in the treatment of oral thrush include antifungal mouth rinses, lozenges, creams and oral tablets. In some cases, a combination of oral tablets and lozenges are used to treat severe oral thrush infections. As many as 14 days of treatment with antifungal medications may be necessary to treat severe oral thrush infections.
In some instances, generic brands of the medications are available, which will help to lessen the cost of any treatment regimen prescribed for you by your dentist. Dental insurance will cover the cost of prescription medications to treat oral thrush, and some medications are available over-the-counter.
Topical medications used to treat oral thrush include nystatin (creams, ointments, powder and oral solution) or clotrimazole lozenges. Nystatin powder or ointments may be applied to the affected mucosa and/or inside the thoroughly cleaned dentures and worn. Nystatin solution is used to rinse the mouth. It is safe to swallow for treatment of candidiasis affecting the throat.
The most common human fungal infection, oral thrush presents as slightly raised removable plaques (resembling cottage cheese) on the tongue or inner cheek. Thrush can also affect the roof of the mouth, gums, tonsils or back of the throat.
Causes of Oral Thrush:
Oral thrush is caused primarily when there is an overgrowth of Candida albicans, a yeast normally present in the mouth in small quantities and kept in balance by helpful bacteria in the body. Less frequently, oral thrush may also be caused by an overgrowth/infection of the Candida glabrata or Candida tropicalis yeasts, which also are present in the mouth.
Dry mouth, high blood and salivary sugar levels (diabetes), and prolonged use of certain antibiotics or corticosteroid therapy (asthma inhalers) can upset the body's natural balance of friendly bacteria that would otherwise fight off a yeast infection. This allows overgrowth of Candida and leads to oral thrush.
Oral Thrush Symptoms:
There are several symptoms associated with the development of the fungal infection. In addition to having a white, yellow or cream-colored curd-like appearance, oral thrush can cause a burning sensation in the mouth, soreness and/or sensitivity to acidic and spicy foods, an unpleasant taste in the mouth and bad breath (halitosis). Scraping the white lesions from the soft tissues (mucosa) of the mouth may cause bleeding and a painful sensation, revealing red and inflamed surfaces underneath.
Candidal infections can lead to a diaper rash in infants that does not heal with the use of ointments (yeast passes through the baby's stool), in addition to a rash in the infant's mouth. Mothers and their infected infants can pass oral thrush back and forth. For a breastfeeding mother, Candidal infection could result in burning, painful nipples. Candidal infections can also cause vaginal yeast infections in women.
Candidiasis is not limited to the mouth and, if left untreated, can spread to other parts of the body (throat, vagina, skin). Although rare, oral thrush can spread to other organs of the body, but this is usually limited to immunocompromised individuals.
Your dentist can diagnose oral thrush by examining your mouth and brushing the lesions away. If necessary, microscopic testing can be used for confirmation.
Oral Thrush Considerations and Risk Factors
A number of factors can put an individual at higher risk for an oral thrush or candidiasis infection. Women who are pregnant, women taking birth control pills and those who experience persistent dry mouth (caused by systemic conditions or medications such as antidepressants) are more likely to develop a candidal infection. Other at-risk individuals include:
Newborns/Nursing Mothers: Babies and nursing mothers must both be properly treated to prevent passing the Candidal infection back and forth. Dentists or healthcare providers can prescribe mild antifungal medications to treat oral infections, and an antifungal cream may be needed for treating the breasts.
Diabetics: Individuals with diabetes have a reduced resistance to infection, so they may experience an increased incidence of oral thrush. To prevent oral infections, dentists may recommend medicated mouth rinses or more frequent dental hygiene appointments.
People with Asthma/Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): The use of inhaled corticosteroids has been shown to increase an individual's risk for oral thrush. This risk can be reduced by using a spacer and rinsing the mouth after using the inhaler.
Denture Wearers: A common contributor to oral thrush is denture stomatisis, which occurs when the gums and soft tissue of the mouth are irritated and inflamed from wearing a denture that doesn't fit well or hasn't been properly cleaned on a regular basis. This condition creates an environment that is ideal for Candida growth.
Smokers: The use of tobacco has been identified as a contributing factor in oral thrush infection.
Immune deficiencies (HIV, Chemotherapy/Cancer Patients): Deficiencies in the immune system that result from chemotherapy, radiation treatments or HIV infection can dramatically change the balance of the protective mechanisms in the body that would otherwise fight off an oral thrush infection. An individual's ability to fight infection determines the severity of oral thrush and the fungal infection overall. Individuals with HIV are prone to severe forms of oral thrush in their mouth or esophagus, as well as spread of the infection to the intestines. Prolonged antifungal treatment may be necessary for individuals with severe infections and/or those who are immunocompromised.
Oral Thrush Treatments
Oral thrush treatment starts with the management of the conditions that caused development of the fungal infection. For example, if you have developed oral thrush as a result of using a particular antibiotic, you should speak with your physician immediately about getting an alternative medication.
If you wear dentures, they should be removed from the mouth at bedtime and thoroughly cleaned. An antimicrobial mouth rinse may also be recommended by your dentist for use as a denture disinfecting agent.
If you are diabetic, you must carefully monitor and control your blood glucose levels. Those who are immunocompromised may need oral or IV antifungal medications to control the Candidal infection on an ongoing basis.
Practicing good oral hygiene is also important, as well as limiting the amount of sugary and yeast-containing foods that you eat.
Treatment of oral thrush depends on the severity of the condition. Mild cases may be managed without medications. Drinking acidic liquids such as orange juice and eating yogurt can help to rebalance the natural bacteria that keep the Candida yeast in check.
Your dentist will develop a treatment plan for you based on your specific condition and the nature of your oral thrush infection. Medications used in the treatment of oral thrush include antifungal mouth rinses, lozenges, creams and oral tablets. In some cases, a combination of oral tablets and lozenges are used to treat severe oral thrush infections. As many as 14 days of treatment with antifungal medications may be necessary to treat severe oral thrush infections.
In some instances, generic brands of the medications are available, which will help to lessen the cost of any treatment regimen prescribed for you by your dentist. Dental insurance will cover the cost of prescription medications to treat oral thrush, and some medications are available over-the-counter.
Topical medications used to treat oral thrush include nystatin (creams, ointments, powder and oral solution) or clotrimazole lozenges. Nystatin powder or ointments may be applied to the affected mucosa and/or inside the thoroughly cleaned dentures and worn. Nystatin solution is used to rinse the mouth. It is safe to swallow for treatment of candidiasis affecting the throat.
Is there any harm to swellow white stuff on my tonsil stone i am worried about it please guide me.
i too have this same kind of problem moreover sometimes when i am sleeping ,it suddenly started coughing and i can't able to breath properly for sometime .when i eat something i feel burning ,i get these food particles .
is this esophegus problem ??
is this esophegus problem ??
I too have had this problem for a couple of years now. I don't know if its a medical condition or what but I eat rice often and believe those small white particles are just partially digested rice particles that get stuck in your throat and thats what's creating the bad smell. I'm going to experiment and stop eating rice for while and see it my breath's freshness improves. I brush 2-3 times a day and floss daily so I can't see why I would be suffering from bad breath.
I keep caughing up some little white particles they carry a nasty smell there will be times my throat is very dry, when I smell them they carry a bad odor what can I do to stop it.
I have suffered from the same thing for 12 years now too. I think that these are tonsiliths or tonsil stones. My concern is that these are coming from bacteria, and to get rid of them obviously we need to get rid of the bacteria. It's one thing to do a tonsilectomy, but we have tonsils the whole way down our throats and I've heard that if you have a tonsilectomy you can still get these further down your throat. The solution is to get rid of the bacteria. Does anyone know why they have the bacteria in their throats in the first place? There are some very harmful bacterias out there ... we should really be trying to find a solution to that! I sometimes sleep and wake up with something stuck in my throat or it simply drops into my mouth. It's terrible. There is thick mucous in my throat too. The job of the muscous membranes is to secrete mucous to traps particlies so that they don't end up in our airways ... my mucous membranes are working overtime and I find this situation pretty depressing as I've not found a solution for it yet!
I'm having the same problem with the "Tosilloliths". What is the best way to avoid the acccumulation of debris in the tonsil? It is becoming a problem for my selfsteem due the awful smell. I've noticed that when I talk to people they put this face like something bothers them. I feel insecure about my oral hygiene. Help please!
Thanks
Thanks
Hi there, I've experienced this for 3 years now and they come and go many times through the year. I get them quite a lot, they are nicknamed tonsil stones and I find I get them more when Im stressed.
They are harmless but quite annoying and can leave a horrible taste in the back of your throat. They can be quite difficult to remove yourself if you have a sensitive gag reflex, but if youre like me then you'l have no trouble.
They are easy to remove with cotton wool buds, just shine a torch down your throat and apply pressure where you can see them and they just pop out. There are many holes in tonsils so can be tricky at times. Just make sure you brush your teeth really well and more importantly the back of your tongue. Because these "tonsil stones" are built up of bacteria. Hope I've helped.
They are harmless but quite annoying and can leave a horrible taste in the back of your throat. They can be quite difficult to remove yourself if you have a sensitive gag reflex, but if youre like me then you'l have no trouble.
They are easy to remove with cotton wool buds, just shine a torch down your throat and apply pressure where you can see them and they just pop out. There are many holes in tonsils so can be tricky at times. Just make sure you brush your teeth really well and more importantly the back of your tongue. Because these "tonsil stones" are built up of bacteria. Hope I've helped.
Totally agree with ENTMD. Sounds like tonsilloliths or tonsil stones. I get them from time to time. And yes, THEY SMELL.
I very much doubt that this is reflux disease. I think it is much more likely that you are describing tonsilloliths. These are collections of debris that form within the many "pockets" that are in most normal tonsils. They are a collection of dead tissue and bacteria, which is why they smell so awful. Some have had success with gargles, some simply pick them out manually. For others, the severity has prompted them to consider tonsillectomy.
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