Holes in tonsils can be a breeding ground for viral or bacterial infection causing more serious tonsil infections such as tonsils stones (tonsillitis). Many people will develop small tonsillitis with debris trapped in them. Learn how you can clean and cure tonsils with holes after strep throat or sore throat.
Tonsils are considered as very significant part in the oral cavity and the lymphatic system in our body. In the past tonsils that were troublesome were removed at the discretion of the health care provider. However, recent medical studies have proved that your tonsils are important to your body.
Did you know that your tonsils are important in immunological functions of the body? Tonsils protects you from certain diseases and infections. You shouldn’t find a reason to remove them out. However, when tonsillitis become large such that they cause you to have difficulty in either eating, swallowing or even breathing they need to be removed.
What do holes in tonsils mean? Does everyone have holes in their tonsils?
Do you have tonsils that have holes or crypt on the surface? Some people have tonsils with holes or crypts on the surface. When the food, not all the food is swallowed, some get stuck in the holes or crypts. For over time, significant amount of foods particles and other debris such as mucus and dead cells get collected in these crypts.
This poses a health hazard to your mouth oral cavity and mouth. Generally, your health becomes prone to infection from viral and bacterial. This happens as warm moisture from the mouth and the throat combine with the debris decompose and rot causing the patients to have bad breath.
In more complex situation, the debris collected in the holes of the tonsils become as hard as stones. In such a case, you end up getting tonsillar stones or tonsillitis. This condition of the tonsil is believed to run in the family. Children too can get holes in tonsils due to either infection or the invasion of bacteria.
The crypts in tonsil become a breeding ground for bacteria and they tend to reproduce more owing to the warm moisture of the throat and food particles in the holes. As food accumulates in the holes of the tonsils, they end up as white pockets on the tonsils and throat.
Holes in tonsils pictures, photos, images
How do holes in tonsils look like? To help you understand how crypts on the surface of the tonsils look or appear, below is a photo of tonsils with holes. We have also added more pictures and images in the post to help you identify with your symptoms.
What causes holes in tonsils
There is no medical investigation that gives exact cause of tonsils with holes. However, all medical studies and discussions conclude that, holes on the surface of the tonsils have a close association the tonsillitis. Here is the discussion on the causes.
1. Cancer
There is a little information linking cancer directly to the holes on tonsils. However, patients who have cancer on the throat and tonsils may as well get the holes, though rare cases have been reported. Most tonsil cancer arises in the lining of the mouth, which can also develop in the tonsils too.
According to healthgrades.com- see source at the end – smoking and taking alcohol are the risk factors for the cells of the tonsils to be affected. You may end having holes where these cells (dead) combine with other particles in the tonsils and mouth and form crypts.
2. Strep throat
Did you know that Strep throat can cause your tonsils to have holes? Strep throat is caused by infection of bacteria called strep. The bacteria gets your throat and tonsil inflamed. In severe cases, your throat becomes sore.
Some people are unlucky and end up getting white pockets on the surface of the tonsil after a mild infection of sore throat.
3. Mono
Mono is a viral infection that affects the tonsils and may cause your tonsils to have holes. If you repeated infections of this virus on your tonsils, more of the pocket are likely to develop, this is to harbor white blood cells to fight back the viral infection. Gargling your tonsils with salty water can be used to resolve the problem.
4. Smoking
Smoking of cigarette and tobacco is a health hazard especially if your tonsils are infected. Holes in tonsils are not directly influenced by smoking. According to health experts, cigarette smoke is said to have a lot of chemicals that tend to irritate tissues in your throat and tonsils.
As a result, it is has been noted that smoking while you have tonsillitis, makes the condition even worse. The chemicals in cigarettes will be part of the particles collected in the crypts forming huge pockets with white patch that are filled with debris in the mouth. In the long run, getting rid of these holes becomes a difficult task.
Holes in tonsils with pus
Can pus accumulate in tonsils with holes? If you have had an infection in your tonsils, you might have probably noticed accumulation of white pus within the holes of the tonsils. The holes in tonsils get filled with mucus, deposit of calcium, bacteria and food particles. Infected tonsils are white or at times yellow with a bad breath when dislodged.
If you notice you have holes on the surface of your the tonsils, it is recommended you visit your healthcare provider for further examination. Treatment or cure may involve use of antibiotics or rather have them surgically removed through tonsillectomy.
Holes in tonsils that collect food
If you have infected tonsils or you probably suffering from tonsillitis, you are likely to get holes in your tonsils. You may have experienced white or sometimes whitish- yellow substance that are irregularly shaped. Your tonsils has inner lining (oral mucosa) that is sensitive and it could be the reason why most people with infected tonsils feel irritations.
Oral mucosa just like the skin sheds off periodically, this means that dead cells combines with the saliva and mucus and you end up swallowing them. Did you know that the surface of your tonsils is characteristically marked with pits? Sometime these pits or crypts are deep and huge enough such that they become more visible and resemble holes.
The so- called holes in tonsils tend to accumulate the dead cells along the lining of the tonsils including food particles and mucus. This becomes the breeding ground for bacteria and the reproduce even more. Your tonsils end up harboring bacteria and consequently your mouth starts to stink.
Visible pocket hole behind tonsil hurts, bleeding
If you have tonsillitis, whitish chunks on the tonsils be seen at the back of your throat and on the surface of the tonsils. Tonsils stones appears as pockets filled with debris and bacteria which forms in the tonsils crypts. Sometimes it hurt if the tonsils are constantly infected.
People who suffer from chronic inflammation or have repeated cases of tonsillitis are more prone to pockets behind their tonsils which at times hurt due to swelling. Irritation on the infected tonsils can make them hurt and bleed.
Tonsil holes no pain
Do holes in the tonsils cause pain? Tonsils are glands in the back of your throat that helps in the fight against infection of bacteria. This simply means, if you have intact tonsils you are likely less to suffer from bacterial or viral infection. The pits or crypts in the tonsils only collects debris from the throat and mouth and around the lining the lining of your tonsils.
In most cases these pits, end up solidifying forming hard substances on the surface of the tonsils which doesn’t hurt. Unless you get irritated from foreign substances such as spiced food or smoke from cigarette, no pain has been reported.
If you have severe and deep infected holes in the tonsils, you are likely to get pain due to irritations of acidic and salty foods.
Can holes in tonsils heal?
Can you effectively holes in your tonsils? It is important to know that holes in your tonsils are normal. They create space where white blood cells can fight the infection of bacteria that gets into the body through the mouth. However, when they cause complication such as causing you pain or even bleeding, you need to treat them.
If you exercise good oral hygiene, brushing your teeth and the surface of the tongue regularly, you reduce the risk of bacterial infection and remove foods that may stick on our tongue and tonsils. Holes in tonsil in less severe cases will heal on their own. You may as well seek further help from your doctor to advise you on how can heal the holes in your tonsils.
How to clean holes in tonsils
There are some quite effective treatment for cleaning tonsils with holes. While removing tonsils through a surgical procedure appear to be the best solution, there are other home remedies that can be effective as well. Here’s how to clean tonsils that has holes.
- Add 1 tablespoon salt and a cup of water and mix to make a solution.
- Gargle your tonsils with the salty water to help disinfect your mouth.
- Rinse with lukewarm water.
- You can do this a few times every day to disinfect your mouth. This will help remove bacteria known to harbor in the pockets of the tonsils.
Sources and citations:
- http://tonsilstoneremoval.org/
- http://www.ehow.com/how_5158949_cure-holes-tonsils.html
- http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/tonsil-stones-tonsilloliths-treatment-and-prevention – 1
- http://www.healthgrades.com/conditions/tonsil-cancer
