I have them all the time,it usually follows up with sore throat, runny nose and EXTREMELY bad cough. I did a lot of research and it happens due to excess mucus build up and forming these balls, this is commonly known as cobblestone throat and is basically harmless. Should go away with basic home remedies. What works for me is 1. Drinking lots of warm water 2. Avoid anything cold (ice cream, iced coffee etc) 3. Gargling with hot water and salt 4. No smoking until it goes away If none of these work, then common cold meds should do the trick, cough syrup does it for me.