Questions & Answers
Tonsils and Tonsillectomies

Everybody’s heard of tonsils. But not everyone knows what tonsils do in the body or why they may need to be removed. Knowing the facts can help alleviate the fears of both parents and children facing a tonsillectomy.

What Are Tonsils?
According to Carl W. “Rusty” Stevens, II, MD, with the ENT Surgical Clinic of South Central Mississippi, “Tonsils are glandular tissue located on both sides of the throat. The tonsils trap bacteria and viruses entering through the throat and produce antibodies to help fight infections. You can usually see the tonsils by looking in your child’s throat using a flashlight.”

Tonsillitis occurs when tonsils become infected and swell. If your child has persistent or recurring tonsillitis, your physician may suggest that they be removed. Children do not suffer from more infections without their tonsils—other tissues in the body function the same as tonsils do, producing sufficient antibodies to fight infection.

What Are the Symptoms of Tonsillitis?
There are several symptoms associated with tonsillitis. Your child may experience:

• sore throat
• pain or discomfort when swallowing
• fever
• raspy voice
• swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the neck.

“If you look down your child’s throat, you may see red and swollen tonsils or a white or yellow coating on the tonsils,” Dr. Stevens says. But don’t rely on your own guesses when it comes to your child’s health. You may not be able to judge whether your child’s tonsils are infected. If you suspect tonsillitis, see your physician.

Treatment of Tonsillitis
Because of success with antibiotics, surgery is no longer the standard treatment for tonsillitis that it was years ago. For many children, enlarged or swollen tonsils are normal. But recurrent sore throats and infections should be evaluated by a physician. Your physician may order a throat culture to check for strep throat. Strep are bacteria that cause infections. Bacterial infections respond well to antibiotics.

Left alone, your child’s enlarged tonsils may eventually shrink on their own. Your physician may suggest a tonsillectomy if one or more of the following conditions are present:

• swollen tonsils make it hard for your child to breathe
• your child has difficulty swallowing
• recurrent sore throats
• recurrent throat infections
• obstructive sleep apnea (a condition in which your child may stop breathing for a few seconds at a time during sleep because enlarged tonsils are partially blocking his airway).

For more information, call the ENT Surgical Clinic of South Central Mississippi at 649-9706.

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