Can food get stuck in the tonsils and how to clear the tonsils?

Why does food get stuck in the tonsils?

Food debris stuck in the tonsils can be observed in children who have problems with a “loose” throat.

The tonsils are responsible for the proper passage of food during meals. If they increase in size, difficulties arise with patency. Chewed foods begin to accumulate in the throat, thereby causing serious discomfort to the person.

The most common cause of food stuck in the throat is the development of tonsillitis.

When studying the structural features of the tonsils, you can find out that they contain lacunae. Food may periodically get into these cavities. On her own, she cannot leave the tonsils and move into the esophagus. Therefore, food residues begin to accumulate in the gaps. If they are not cleaned, rotting and infection will develop. For the same reason, a person develops an unpleasant odor from the oral cavity. A progressive infection will eventually be able to penetrate the organs of the respiratory or digestive system, which is fraught with various diseases.

The most common reasons why food gets stuck in the tonsils:

• Tonsillitis.
• Traffic jams in the tonsils.
• Swelling of the throat.
• Neoplasms of a benign or malignant nature in the throat.
• Diseases of the esophagus.
• Endocrine pathologies.
• Allergy.
• Nervous system disorder.

Food becomes clogged in the tonsils due to purulent or caseous plugs. The affected areas increase in size and swell. This leads to disruption of food passage. These pathologies are also accompanied by a sore throat, which constantly bothers a person.

Interesting to know! Food can cause difficulty swallowing. This condition is scientifically called dysphagia.

The correct cause of the problem is clarified at an appointment with a specialist. On his own, it is difficult for a person to understand what exactly is wrong with him. If you complain about poor food passage, you should contact an otolaryngologist. During the diagnosis, he will find out the factor that led to the pathology.

Leftover food often gets clogged in the tonsils of people who often have a sore throat. Due to the disease, the surface of the organ becomes too loose. Due to this, it is easier for pathogenic microorganisms to penetrate its tissues and actively multiply in the vulnerable area. Over time, this leads to severe suppuration, which reduces the clearance in the throat.

Food stoppers

Pharyngitis contributes to the retention of food debris in the tonsils

On the surface of healthy tonsils there are depressions into which food can get stuck. This is quite natural, so it is almost impossible to avoid such a problem. If a person suffers from an infectious disease, for example, tonsillitis or pharyngitis, then the lacunae become larger. Food jams may form in them.

In reality, food jams do not pose a serious threat to human health and life. Lacunae are able to independently cleanse themselves of food debris, so there is no need to worry too much about this. If this process is disrupted, then you will have to wash them.

Note! Any person gets food stuck in their tonsils. Even if this process is considered a pathology, specific treatment is still not offered for it, since it simply does not exist.

The lacunae must be washed in the office of an otolaryngologist, who is consulted with complaints of stuck food. During the treatment procedure, vacuum suction of the elements contained in the cavities of the tonsils can be used.

Removing food debris on your own is highly undesirable. Improper actions when removing food jams can lead to new health problems and worsen the situation. For example, through negligence a person pushes food even further into the gap, which is fraught with complications.

If a person is prone to food jams, he should remember to regularly rinse his mouth and throat after each meal. This procedure is also useful for those people who are not bothered by this problem.

Accumulation of mucus in the tonsils

Not only food, but also mucus can accumulate in the lacunae of the tonsils. This occurs due to its increased production. This process is influenced by the following factors:

1. Colds.
2. Severe hypothermia of the body.
3. Drinking cold drinks and food.
4. Swallowing cold air.
5. Smoking.
6. Pregnancy.
7. Abuse of spicy and salty foods.
8. Allergic reactions.

Excessive mucus causes food to become stuck in the throat. She cannot move freely towards the esophagus.

The feeling of a lump in the throat can be caused not only by stuck food, but also by the accumulation of mucus in the tonsils.

Regardless of what exactly causes discomfort in a person, he needs to find a way to cope with this problem.

How to clear your throat of food at home

Gargling is the most universal and common way to combat the problem.

If food gets stuck in your tonsils, you can try clearing your throat at home. Although it is best to contact a specialist with such a problem, since incorrect actions can aggravate the situation.

Here's what to do to cleanse the organ of food stuck in its cavities:

1. Rinse your mouth thoroughly with water. Usually these measures are enough to wash the surface of the tonsils.
2. Rinsing the tonsils with a solution prepared based on 1 glass of drinking water and ½ tsp. baking soda. The procedure is recommended to be carried out after each meal.
3. Mechanical removal of pieces of food from the tonsils. It is necessary to thoroughly wash your hands with soap, take a mirror, open your mouth and try to manually remove the elements that form food plugs in the tonsils.

Food stuck in the throat does not pose any particular health hazard. Things are different if the cause of discomfort is fish or chicken bones, for example. They not only create inconvenience, but also injure the mucous membrane of the tonsils. Damage to blood vessels from their sharp parts is also possible.

If there are rotting bones in the throat, then you should try to remove them immediately using the following first aid methods:

• You need to try to mechanically remove the bone that is stuck in the throat.
• Next, the throat and mouth should be thoroughly rinsed with an antiseptic solution.
• If you cannot remove the bone yourself, then you should try to do it using a suitable product. For this problem, it is recommended to eat a portion of black bread, liquid honey or mashed potatoes. They push the pit, which allows them to make a special consistency.

Very often children get food stuck in their tonsils. If this regularly occurs in children under 5 years of age, then parents should take them to see a specialist. It is possible that this is one of the symptoms of a disease that has not yet fully manifested itself. Often, such pathologies require urgent hospitalization of the child.

What to do in case of tonsil blockages?

Of course, see an otolaryngologist in a specialized ENT office; in Moscow, this can be done at ENT Clinic No. 1 , where you will receive treatment, including sanitation of the tonsils ( washing the tonsil plugs ). Of great importance in treatment is the availability of this organ for washing with medicines, both manually (special instruments) and physiotherapy.

The tonsil tissue is very well healed when treated with the “Tonsillor” apparatus, when ultrasonic washing of the tonsils occurs, followed by phonophoresis of a medicinal substance into the tonsil tissue. When treated with tonsillitis, the tonsils are both cleansed and significantly reduced in diameter, inflammation is relieved, and pathogenic microflora is destroyed. In addition to this technique, the non-contact method of treating tonsils is widely used: USOL therapy, endolacunar laser therapy, and photochromotherapy.

ENT specialists - doctors of ENT clinic number 1 will individually select a treatment method and take you for follow-up at the dispensary. The course of treatment is usually 8-10 procedures. Since the process of inflammation in the tonsils in this case is chronic, it is advisable to repeat the course of treatment every six months, which will help you maintain the protective function of the tonsils, significantly improve the quality of life (reduce morbidity), and prevent the development of serious complications.

It should be noted that with regular treatment for 2-3 years, some patients may experience complete recovery and restoration of tonsil function, which does not require further courses of anti-relapse therapy.

When do you need a doctor?

If home rinses do not bring results, you need to go to an otolaryngologist

Sometimes a person manages to cope with stuck food in the cavities of the tonsils. It rinses the mouth and throat in a timely manner, so the product does not rot in them, and then moves along the path of the esophagus. If the problem cannot be solved at home, then the help of a specialist will be required.

Important! If food in the throat bothers your child, then it is best not to risk trying to deal with the problem on your own. Children must be shown to a doctor.

Adults should visit an otolaryngologist if the feeling of a lump in the throat does not go away for a long time and is accompanied by pain and other discomfort.

A visit to a specialist is mandatory in the following situations:

• Home methods do not remove stuck food.
• The throat feels constricted.
• Food is in the child's tonsils.

The doctor will review the patient’s complaint and conduct the necessary examination. Afterwards, he will prescribe the optimal treatment that suits a particular person.

The following methods are used as therapy:

1. Drug treatment.
2. Physiotherapy.
3. Surgical intervention.

In most cases, patients can manage with traditional lavage of the lacunae. To achieve the best result, the procedure must be performed several times.

Prevention

The occurrence of problems associated with food stuck in the tonsils can be prevented by following basic preventive measures aimed at cleansing the oral cavity. We are talking about the following recommendations:

1. Don't forget to brush your teeth regularly every morning and evening. This will help remove any leftover food. It is also important to rinse your mouth with at least plain water after each meal.
2. It is advisable to give up bad habits and strengthen your immune system. Thanks to this, you can avoid infectious diseases that lead to holes in the tonsils.
3. It is necessary to protect yourself from hypothermia, so you should choose clothes according to the weather.
4. It is necessary to promptly treat diseases of the oral cavity and respiratory tract in order to prevent the development of complications.

At the first signs of pathology, you should seek medical help. This is especially true if discomfort in the throat is accompanied by painful symptoms.

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Why are tonsil plugs dangerous?

Such a process in the tonsils cannot be ignored; in some cases, the discharge in the lacunae is populated by hemolytic streptococcus , the antigenic structure of which is very similar to the antigenic structure of a number of tissues in our body, namely: cardiac muscle, kidney parenchyma, synovial bursa (articular tissue). Antibodies that the body diligently produces, unable to cope with the infection in the tonsils, can attack its own tissues, leading to rheumatic pathology: rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. And these are only the most serious complications; most often, having such a lesion in the oropharynx, we feel it affecting our quality of life. Any hypothermia leads to inflammation of the tonsils of the back wall of the pharynx: sore throat, nasal congestion appear, otitis media, sinusitis, that is, an infection that has found refuge in the tonsils, appears when the opportunity arises and the body’s resistance decreases: hypothermia under air conditioning, during active recreation in the cold season, etc., it begins to actively reproduce and seed the mucous membranes with its pathogenic flora.