People do not like tonsil stones for two main reasons. Firstly they are comprised of debris from the mouth, including dead cells, salivary residue, and food. This means they will rot over time, with bacterial growth and the release of putrefying gases, which are unpleasant to smell. Secondly this process also set up local inflammation and soreness in the tonsils, causing acute on chronic tonsillitis, which can be a debilitating condition linked to chronic fatigue.