Tonsil stones, also known as tonsilloliths, are very common among people of all ages. Those who have tonsillitis or chronic tonsillitis are more susceptible to tonsil stones or tonsilloliths.
Innumerable studies and relentless research have found out the precise process of how tonsil stones are formed but exactly why they are formed is yet to be known. From what can be inferred after assessing all the facts and reports of the studies, it can be said that bacterial infections, auto immunity and certain lifestyle factors can be the root causes or the facilitative causes of tonsil stones.
The Cause of Tonsil Stones
What causes tonsil stones would vary largely from one person to another. The process of tonsil stones formation must be understood to gauge the nature of the condition and how it is caused. The tonsils have crannies and nooks where different foods, bacteria and viruses along with other materials may get accumulated over time. If this accumulation becomes concentrated, solidifies to an extent that calcium from the body and from food sources would then calcify the deposits then one would develop tonsil stones.
Now, tonsil stones can be of varying sizes and its severity can also vary largely. Tonsil stones can be asymptomatic where there would be no symptoms or signs at all. In such cases, the tonsil stones are very small and may appear to be as white spots and not stones at all. Slightly bigger tonsil stones may or may not show any symptoms and thus might not call for any treatment. Larger tonsil stones which would impair eating, drinking and even speaking can be easily spotted and they would protrude out of the tonsils quite noticeably.
Bacterial or viral infections are very common causes of tonsil stones. The tonsils are tasked to screen such untowardly elements but when such organisms get deposited on the tonsils and they are not cleansed, they can start to contribute to the formation of tonsil stones. Along with this, if a person doesn’t have a strong immune system, oral hygiene and lives a stressed lifestyle then the process can be quickened. Smoking and drinking damages the nerves around the tonsils and reduces the amount of blood flowing to the tissues, thus weakening the tonsil tissues and making them prone to formation of tonsil stones.
As you would realize with the aforementioned information, there are many potential answers to what causes tonsil stones and that would also vary on a case to case basis.
