Tag Archives: tonsils

The Lingering Sore Throat (Chronic Pharyngitis)

Persisting or recurrent sore throat can indicate a number of conditions, most of which are very curable.  Acute pharyngitis is a sore throat that appears and can last up to a month before fully resolved.  It is usually the result of infection – viral, bacterial, or rarely fungal (candida yeast).  Acute pharyngitis might be tested […]

Q&A: Did my Toothbrush give me Strep Throat?

Answer: Probably not! It has been shown that the bacteria causing strep throat, and recurrent tonsil infections, do tend to colonize your toothbrush (or dental retainer). However other studies show that the disease is just as likely to return whether or not you switch brushes. So I’m certain that hearing this gross tidbit will have […]

Q&A: Tonsil Stones

Question: Are tonsil stones painful? Answer: No, tonsil stones themselves are not usually painful.  The “stones” are actually accumulations of debris within the crevasses of the tonsils.  Usually this debris is dried saliva, food particles, and bacterial bi-products.  The tonsils can have deep in-folds that allow trapping of the debris and formation of these little […]