Tonsil problem?

[Pricelessadvice]

About a week ago I noticed that when I swallow, I get a pain in my right tonsil/right ear. I also started to notice a really awful taste in my mouth. I am scrupulous about oral hygiene so my teeth are in excellent condition, but I still went in and flossed etc to check I hadn’t missed anything. Teeth are fine. I use mouthwash every day too.
I can only assume the weird taste and sore tonsil are connected.

However, I can’t see anything. I’ve tried looking down my throat with a torch but my tongue is in the way 😂

I don’t have a cold or anything, so it’s not something connected to a cold virus.

Im paranoid about bad breath, but I’m not sure how to sort the tonsil issue out to stop it. I don’t want to waste a GP’s time as I’m not unwell.

Tonsil stone? Ulcer on tonsil?
Any ideas? It’s still painful to swallow just on that side. Surely it can’t be tonsillitis if I’m not unwell? Are there any specific mouth wash things that might sort this if I gargle with it?

Please help! I’m so self conscious that I might have bad breath as a result.

Bad smell/taste and pain/discomfort on swallowing sounds very much like tonsil stones to me. If you can't see them to hoik them out then gargling with salt water might help?

Thank you. I’ve discovered that it is a tonsil stone, but it’s extremely well tucked away and kind of high up and hiding above this little lumpy bit and behind a fold of skin. I get an occasional brief glance in a pitch black room with a torch aimed down my throat.
I’ve tried squirting water in with a syringe, poking with a cotton bud, gargling, coughing… but to no avail.
My ear is throbbing now.

Will saltwater break it down?

I think gargling with diluted Apple cider vinegar is supposed to be good for breaking them down too.

I think I’ve pushed it further into the cave 😫
It’s tucked right behind that ‘curtain’ of skin and kind of up. I’ve ordered a tonsil stone removal kit from Amazon and I’ve gargled salt water. I’m going to get some apple cider vinegar today.

My ear is killing me. It must be by a nerve or something.

I suffer with hidden tonsil stones. Get some corsodyl mouthwash and use that for a few days. It has an anti bacterial ingredient which is very good for helping to break them down. Use salt water mouth rinses during the day too. If it persists do see your doctor, sometimes antibiotics are needed to break them down if they’re well and truly stuck.

Sounds grim and you have to be super careful but a cocktail stick is the right size and shape to push that bit of skin back gently, expose the stone and ease/flick it out. Then the mouthwash to stop the cavity refilling.

I think I got it! Well I definitely got a bit of it, although my tonsil and ear still hurt to swallow so I wondered if there was a bit still in there, but this morning the pain seems to have gone so I think maybe everything was a bit inflamed from all the prodding.
I’m a bit paranoid now so I’m gargling water after every meal. I do not want a repeat of that!

Thanks all! X

A little update- there was more!

Despite my initial relief, within 24 hours it dawned on me that there was something still stuck in there. The pain had gone but the weird taste, though not as bad, was still in my mouth. I spent the week gargling saltwater and mouthwash but to no avail.

So I just got the little light poking thing out of my tonsil stone kit (best thing ever!) and just kept and moving that flap back and shining the light up into the crevice. Eventually I saw a bit of white! Bingo! It took 3 attempts. I’d push the area around and it would pop out but I could get hold of it with the tool and it would slip back in again. But I persisted and eventually got it on the back of my tongue so took a mouthful of water and spat it out. Little yellow-white tonsil stone appeared (it looked much bigger in my mouth!)
I think I’ve got it all now and I’m celebrating with a coffee, but if I’m in any doubt, I’ll try that technique again and see if there’s any more hiding up there.

Im looking forward to my food not tasting like a dead rodent, and not being afraid to talk to people without being 3 metres away from them!!