The tonsils are part of the body's immune system. Because of their location at the throat and palate, they can stop germs entering the body through the mouth or the nose. The tonsils also contain a lot of white blood cells, which are responsible for killing germs.
Surgery to completely remove the tonsils (total tonsillectomy) can help to reduce the number of throat infections. Once the palatine tonsils have been removed, they can no longer become infected – but other areas of tissue in the throat can still become infected.
For some, the tonsils harbor bacteria that foster chronic infection. “The good news is, having your tonsils removed has proven to significantly reduce the rate of infection for chronic sufferers. And you don't need your tonsils, so there are no long-term consequences for having them removed,” Dr. Ingley says.
Tonsils and adenoids help trap bacteria and viruses that people breathe in, helping prevent throat and lung infections. Luckily, they are not the body's only defense against infection, as sometimes the tonsils can become more hurtful than helpful.
The most likely reasons your physician may recommend a tonsillectomy are frequent, severe sore throats or a chronic infection in your tonsils. However, if you have infrequent, uncomplicated infections, your doctor will probably just treat you as needed.
Conclusion: Tonsillectomy affects voice performance negatively in adults in short term; however, it does not affect voice performance in long term after surgery.
Adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy were associated with a 2- to 3-fold increase in diseases of the upper respiratory tract, and adenoidectomy doubled the risk of COPD and conjunctivitis. Adenotonsillectomy was associated with a 17 percent increased risk of infectious diseases.
It is possible for tonsils to partially grow back. During a tonsillectomy, most of the tonsils are removed. However, some tissue often remains, so tonsils occasionally can regenerate (regrow) — although they probably won't grow back completely or to their original size.
Kids with larger tonsils tend to gag easily because the tonsils contact the posterior edges of the tongue and pharyngeal surfaces, triggering the gag reflex. When children manipulate the tongue while eating the tonsillar tissue may also shift, once again eliciting a gag.
As your tonsils will be removed and your general health improved, those who experience tonsillitis caused by bacteria should have fewer infections1. Of course, you will still be at risk of colds and viruses, but these are less likely to develop into persistent infections.
The glands contain folds known as tonsillar crypts (folds). If your tonsillar crypts are enlarged, minerals such as calcium can become trapped, and calcify (harden) into stones. Bacteria or fungi that cause tonsillitis can also cause tonsil stones to form.
After tonsillectomy, you can still get colds, sore throats, and throat infections. But you won't get tonsillitis unless the tonsils grow back, which is uncommon. Even though the tonsils are part of the immune system, removing them doesn't affect your body's ability to fight infections.
You may need to have your tonsils removed if you've had tonsillitis: regularly and/or it affects your breathing. more than seven times in the last year. five times or more in each of the last two years.
Tonsillectomy is a surgery that causes a mild or moderate pain in most cases, although few patients complain of severe pain. We found that during first day after surgery, 85.5% of the patients had mild or moderate pain, and only 14.5% a severe pain.
According to the results of this study, tonsillectomy not only does not reduce the function of the immune system, but also can improve the immune response.
“Tonsilitis can be a major contributor of bad breath because it inflames the mucous membranes of the tonsils, making them cause a foul odor. Also, the bits of food and plaque stuck in the tonsils may cause foul odor as they decompose.”
A lot of children have enlarged tonsils or adenoids. This can make their airways narrower, causing them to snore and stop breathing for short periods of time while sleeping. If their sleep is affected over the long term, it can lead to various problems and sometimes even to medical conditions.
A child at any age can have a tonsillectomy if the indications are severe. However, surgeons generally wait until children are 3 years old to remove tonsils because the risk of dehydration and bleeding is greater among small children.
It's common for people to lose weight after this surgery. That's because it can hurt to swallow food at first. As long as you drink plenty of liquids, this is okay. You will probably gain the weight back when you can eat normally again.
Most people think children have their tonsils removed around the age of 12, but a tonsillectomy may be needed at any age. Enlarged tonsils don't always need to be removed. If your child isn't having any problems or symptoms, they may not have to be removed.
Throat pain builds up for the first few days and is usually at its the worst around the fifth day after surgery. Pain and discomfort will usually then ease until the seventh or ninth day after surgery when some of the scab covering the tonsillectomy site falls off. After this there is a steady reduction in pain.
Like any surgical procedure, there are risks of complications such as bleeding and infection. It's also a painful procedure that can involve two or more weeks of moderate to severe pain, says Thatcher.
You should expect a swollen tongue and uvula, white scabs where your tonsils were, and bad breath. Don't worry as these are all normal changes that will go away as your throat mends. Call your healthcare provider if you think you're bleeding in the back of the throat or if you have a fever over 101 degrees F.