Tonsils

The tonsils are two masses of tissue that lie at the back of the throat. During the fifties tonsils were routinely removed during childhood. Tonsillectomies are now more rare.

About Tonsils

The tonsils are the two oval shaped masses of tissue at the back of the throat that lie between the mouth and the pharynx. The tonsils are thought to prevent infections of the breathing passages but often become infected themselves. Tonsils may swell when they become infected; this is commonly referred to as tonsillitis. The tonsils may become red and swollen and/or have a white or yellow coating on them.

Other symptoms of tonsillitis may include:
sore throat
pain or discomfort when swallowing
fever
swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the neckEnlarged tonsils without any symptoms are common among kids. If left alone, the enlarged tonsils may eventually shrink on their own over the course of several years.Sometimes, doctors might recommend surgical removal of the tonsils, called a tonsillectomy, for a child who has one or more of the following:
persistent or recurrent tonsillitis or strep infections
swollen tonsils that make it hard to breathe, especially during sleep
difficulty eating meat or chewy foods
sleep difficulty that might be affecting the child's daily activities
snoring and obstructive sleep apnea

During the tonsillectomy:

*Your child will receive general anesthesia. The surgery will be performed in an operating room so that an anesthesiologist can monitor your child.
*The operation will take about 20 to 30 minutes.
*The surgeon can get to the tonsils through your child's open mouth, so there is no need to cut through skin.

Your child will wake up in the recovery area. You can expect to spend about 5 hours or a bit longer at the hospital. Most children go home on the same day, though some may require observation overnight. As a general rule, children under 3 years old and those with chronic disease will usually stay overnight for observation. Very rarely, children may show signs of bleeding, which would require a return to the operating room.

Depending on the surgical technique, the typical recuperation after a tonsillectomy may take several days to a week or more. Expect some pain and discomfort due to the exposure of the throat muscles after the tonsils are removed. This can affect your child's ability to eat and drink and return to normal activities.

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If you don't have tonsils can you still get tonsillitis?

2 hr 26 min ago - Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils, so no you can'...
What does your throat look like when you have strep?

2 hr 46 min ago - The throat is red and tonsils are swollen, covered with white...
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2 hr 54 min ago - Yes you can still get strep throat without your tonsils. Alth...
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3 hr 19 min ago - Not typically. Tonsillitis caused by a virus will usually go ...
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3 hr 32 min ago - In addition to a fever from 102 to 104 F, the most common sig...
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3 hr 48 min ago - Only the ENT can determine if you would benefit from having a...
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4 hr 20 min ago - The most common causes are infections of the throat surroundi...
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4 hr 43 min ago - Many tonsil stones, especially ones that are asymptomatic, re...
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5 hr 10 min ago - The pill with imprint 44470 is Mapap Cold Formula (acetaminop...
What is the white smelly stuff that comes out of your mouth?

5 hr 11 min ago - A tonsillolith, also known as a tonsil stone is a piece or, m...
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If My throat is sore and have blisters in the back of my throat. Is that strep throat?

5 hr 29 min ago - Symptoms of strep throat are: white or yellow spots or coatin...
When you get your tonsils removed Is it considered a strep throat?

5 hr 51 min ago - No, strep throat is an infection. It may be called a 'strippe...