Given the overwhelming size and outrageous global reach of the internet<\/p>\n
one never has to look too far to find online content that shocks, stuns, amazes or disgusts.<\/p>\n
The rise of social media sites has meant that photos and videos can be shared<\/p>\n
worldwide like never before. As a result, trends develop from time to time where<\/p>\n
there seems to be waves of similar content rolling out during a given period.<\/p>\n
It probably shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise that content to do with our bodies<\/p>\n
\u2013 and all the weird, wonderful, fascinating stuff it can do \u2013 has proven popular<\/p>\n
online. You\u2019ll likely be all too familiar with videos including pimple popping (gross!), cyst draining (double gross!) and earwax removal.<\/p>\n
But have you ever heard of tonsil stones? I hadn\u2019t, in any case, so when<\/p>\n
I saw a video on the subject, I decided to do what I do best\u2026 share the information with you lovely folks\u2026<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll admit to having a high degree of curiosity when it comes to all things<\/p>\n
related to the human body. I don\u2019t necessarily think they\u2019re nice to watch,<\/p>\n
but the viral-craze of the so-dubbed \u201cpimple popping\u201d videos hooked me like a fish.<\/p>\n
That said, when I came across a related video concerning the removal of<\/p>\n
\u201ctonsil stones\u201d, I wasn\u2019t quite sure what to expect.<\/p>\n
To begin with, I\u2019d probably better tell you what exactly tonsil stones are.<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t heard of them before, let alone seen one. Perhaps I\u2019m alone in<\/p>\n
this, maybe all you readers out there are familiar with them. Then again, maybe not\u2026<\/p>\n
As per the Mayo Clinic, tonsil stones are hard white or yellow formations<\/p>\n
that occur on the tonsils. They\u2019re neither painful nor harmful, and can usually be treated with home remedies.<\/p>\n
The main causes of tonsil stones are trapped materials and debris in the<\/p>\n
tonsillar crypts, located in the \u2013 yep, you guessed it \u2013 tonsils, those<\/p>\n
oval-shaped, infection-fighting flaps of tissue located at the back of<\/p>\n
your throat. This can include minerals, such as calcium, food or debris, or even bacteria and fungi.<\/p>\n
Now, tonsil stones are more common than one might think, though they don\u2019t<\/p>\n
always cause symptoms. When they do, said symptoms can include bad breath, a cough, earache, and a sore throat, amongst others.<\/p>\n
Credit \/ Wikimedia Commons
\nAccording to reports, 3 million Americans a year suffer from tonsil stones, but fortunately removing them is a rather easy and simple affair. In fact, a variety of home methods including gargling with salt water and using a delicate object \u2013 like a cotton swab \u2013 can be used to dislodge them.<\/p>\n
Not only that, but simply having a strong cough can actually loosen the stones and bring them up.<\/p>\n
In the video below (which has a whole lot of views) we can watch someone in the process of removing a tonsil stone. Warning! It\u2019s pretty graphic!<\/p>\n
Did you know tonsil stones existed? Have you ever experienced one before? Let us know in the comments.<\/p>\n