Using a Water Pik for Tonsil Stones
Ingrid Bergman once said, “A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous”. Now you’re probably wondering if while kissing your partner, you might be passing the risk of your tonsilloliths along with all your sweet love. The answer is NO.
Tonsil stones are not contagious, and it would be impossible to transfer your stones to another person even when kissing, let alone coughing. It is however possible that you might run the risk of transferring the bacteria, which might set up on the willing host. It would be essential to use q-tips to rub against your stones and use the same swabs to rub against another person’s throat to directly come in contact and run a risk of contamination.
Coming to the coughing question: You can’t just catch stones from airborne elements. The risk is equivalent to that of catching cold and other viruses from someone who sneezed or coughed near you.
Nevertheless, precautions are necessary. Try to refrain from kissing, wash hands and face if someone accidentally coughs or sneezes near you, and keep yourself clean in general. Using antibacterial soaps and cleansers is a good way to avoid any uninviting infection. One must not use the same utensils as the person suffering from tonsils stones as the debris might find a way to reach your throat and form those nasty crypts there. Make sure everything is thoroughly washed and cleaned. Using the same towels or handkerchiefs is also not a healthy practice. Remember, prevention goes a long way in helping you keep any infection at bay, including tonsil stones. Don’t forget to maintain a daily oral hygiene routine – brushing, scraping, and gargling! This regimen should be followed regularly by everyone in the family to be on the safe side. And you’ll see, it’ll do wonders for your oral health as well.
It is obviously not advised to be too fussy or clean about this whole thing. Following your regular hygiene regimen and avoiding being very near to the patient should keep you from getting any tonsillolith! If you’re too concerned, you could always set up an appointment with a dentist, or do a simple home diagnosis to see if you’ve developed any of those stones, which, by the way, is highly unlikely. It is advised not to sweat the small stuff and to continue with your life in a healthy way, of course.
