Posts Tagged ‘enlarged tonsils’
Coughing up food is a symptom that can occur in cases of chronic tonsillitis or swollen tonsils. (tonsillar hypertrophy) where the tonsils have now become enlarged, pitted or ulcerated. This allows food to be trapped between the tonsils and oropharyngeal (mouth-throat) wall or within tiny pits and ulcers on the surface of the tonsils. When coughing, tiny remnants of food dislodge from the tonsillar pits and are expelled into the mouth or through the mouth. Very often these small food particles may look like soft white speckles (similar to a small rice grain) and may have a slightly foul odor as it is decomposing food (some patients report a ‘garbage can’ odor). If they remain trapped in the crevices of the tonsils over a long period, they may begin to harden and are called ‘tonsil stones‘.