As we get older, food and germs can still land in the valleys and crypts. They can then cause infections to develop, which lead to a sore throat or tonsillitis. Some infections can also cause the tonsils to grow in size. Huge tonsils and adenoids can block the airway and cause snoring or swallowing and speech problems.
As nutrition and immunisation has improved, kids get tonsillitis less and less these days. Usually, an ear nose and throat surgeon like me gets called in to intervene more for obstruction blockage than repeated infections.
Is that true? If tonsils are a problem, an ear, nose and throat surgeon can remove them by doing an operation. If they are simply too large, they can be shrunk down using special instruments which remove the valleys and crypts. This leaves a thin bit of tonsil tissue behind. Shrinking the tonsils down reduces the amount of pain kids get and also reduces the chances of bleeding after the operation. The downside is that, in rare cases, the bit we leave behind can get infected, or can regrow - although this is uncommon.
People sometimes worry that by removing the tonsils, we may be more likely to get infections. Those with a tonsillectomy show no significant long term difference in immune system function, though minor changes in immune cell and antibody levels do occur. Key Terms tonsillitis : Inflammation of the tonsils. Frequently accompanied by an adenoidectomy. Location and Structure of the Tonsils There are four pairs of tonsils located within the pharynx.
The adenoids are located in the wall of nasopharynx. The palatine tonsils are located in the sides of the oropharynx. The tubal tonsils are located in the wall of the nasopharynx near the entrance to each Eustachian tube. The lingual tonsils are located behind the tongue. Function of the Tonsils Tonsils : Palatine tonsils can be seen on the left and right sides at the back of the throat.
Authored by : Boundless. Provided by : Boundless. Provided by : Wikipedia. Located at : en. Provided by : Wiktionary. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. They protect against foreign substances that you inhale or ingest through the nose or mouth. Once trapped in the tonsils, bacteria or viruses are then transported to lymph nodes , where specialized immune cells cluster to fight infection.
However, in some cases, tonsils may become infected and need to be removed through a very common procedure called a tonsillectomy. The three pairs of tonsils are:. A bit contrary to their function, the tonsils can become infected.
When examining your tonsils, a physician will ask for your medical history or your child's, perform a physical exam, and, in some cases, take an X-ray to further examine the adenoids or blood tests to determine whether mononucleosis a contagious infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus is the cause of the tonsil enlargement. Tonsil enlargement is not always considered a problem.
However, individuals with enlarged tonsils should be evaluated for the following possible problems related to enlarged tonsils:. The tonsils can be surgically removed if necessary. This is called a tonsillectomy. There are two types of tonsillectomies: complete removal and partial removal. At one time, physicians removed tonsils after just one or two infections.
Due to the risks associated with removing the tonsils, surgeons have become much more conservative in offering this surgery.
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