strange mucus

I have chronic allergic rhinitis. I have approx 30+ allergies and asthma. I take allegra, advair, flonase and singulair daily. In recent months I have started getting dry chunks of weird stuff coming from the base of my sinuses, I think. It usually happens when I clear my throat or brush my teeth. It is semi soft, grainy when squished, yellow and about the size of a large pea or even larger. Should I be concerned? I work at an envelope manufacturing plant with lots of paper dust. I have for 17 yrs. Could it be paper dust? If so, why now? I am 35 yrs old and female.    

[FurballsMom]

Without any other information, I would guess that the paper can be a problem for you.  Do you have tree allergies?  The same proteins in their pollens can be in the paper dust that you end up breathing.  I have a problem with certain printed materials myself, so I can relate to paper allergies caused from being around the dust.

I do have a suggestion that could prove helpful for you if you're not working in customer relations.  Your boss shouldn't have a problem with your wearing a special filtration mask if you're not dealing with the public.

I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) myself, so whenever I leave my apartment, I wear a filtration mask that I bought online at icanbreathe.com.  The woman who developed and designed these masks also has MCS.  Take a look online for yourself, because these are a godsend to anyone with airborne allergies.  I suggest the honeycomb filtration mask over the dust mask because it filters a lot more particulates.  The filters are disposable, but they will last a very long time.  These masks are a lot easier to clean and maintain than the big bulky kinds of gas masks that I have seen others with MCS wear.  I think the mask will help.  I know it isn't so easy to change jobs, especially in today's economy.

If it's the paper dust, I can only tell you that if this is a new allergy that for some reason the body decides that it's allergic to something that it wasn't allergic to before.  That's it in a nutshell.  From what you're describing, this does sound like allergy to paper dust to me, especially since you have a long list of allergies already.  

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!

From your description of the substance, I think they are probably tonsoliths or tonsil stones. These are “irregularly shaped, whitish/yellow, foul-smelling globs of mucous and bacteria that get caught in the back of the throat.” Please refer: http://www.tonsilstones.com/

It is difficult to comment beyond this without examining. Do consult an ENT specialist for this. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[Donnaot]

I had that when I was in Hogh School.  Turned out it was stuff getting stuck in enlarged tonsils.  Had them removed in College.  Problem solved.