Enlarged tonsils in children

Tonsils consist of lymphoid tissue and provide protection against numerous microorganisms entering the oral cavity from the environment with food and inhaled air. Any microorganism, whether it be a bacterium or a virus, first of all collides with palatine and pharyngeal tonsils. Lymphoid tissue, responding to foreign microorganisms, increases, blushes or even inflames. Thus, enlarged tonsils are the first sign of infection.

Newborn children are born with already formed, but not ripe tonsils, which continue to develop until 2-6 years of the child's life. During this period, a restless child can not be protected from communicating with other children, and also forbid him to put dirty hands and objects in his mouth, so enlarged tonsils in children are not uncommon.

There is also such a thing as adenoids. These are enlarged tonsils, or more precisely - a pharyngeal lymphoid ring. Such a state is not uncommon at the present time. It is quite natural and typical for many growing children.

If the tonsils are enlarged, this does not mean that they will have to be treated long and hard. A small increase and even redness is not always a sign of illness, so the doctor can quite argue that the child's condition is within the norm.

Increased tonsils can cause a number of complications due to concomitant rhinitis (if it is an infectious process). Such complications include:

1. Otitis. The middle ear is connected to the pharynx by means of the Eustachian tube, and the infection from it can easily penetrate into the ear cavity.
2. The sinusites. Inflammation of the paranasal sinuses is a frequent complication of a prolonged runny nose.
3. In addition, enlarged tonsils are a hotbed of infection that can provoke a variety of diseases not directly related to the pharynx: kidney, blood, respiratory (bronchopulmonary) diseases.
4. Inflamed tonsils excrete various substances that can cause allergic reactions, and if the allergy is already there, then such a process can only exacerbate its course.

Chronic inflammation of the tonsils can manifest as persistent sore throats (more than once a year). Even at a time when the process is not acute, enlarged tonsils can block the nasopharynx and make it difficult for the baby to breathe.

Children with enlarged tonsils should be constantly examined by a specialist - otorhinolaryngologist. Detection of an infectious focus requires its timely elimination. If the tonsils in a child are enlarged, the treatment is primarily directed at eliminating the infection. In those cases, when the lymphoid tissue significantly grows, the doctor can decide on the need for surgical removal of the tonsils.

Enlarged tonsils in adults almost always talk about the presence of infection in them and require a thorough examination of a specialist to eliminate cancer. If you admit chronic inflammation, then there is a risk of getting together with enlarged tonsils also rheumatoid diseases, and a number of other complications. Fortunately, in most cases, adult tonsils are much better suited to conservative therapy and rarely require surgical intervention.