Tonsillitis and Tonsillar Hypertrophy

The tonsils are masses of lymphoid tissue on each side of the back of the throat. In order to see them, your physician can look through your mouth.

The tonsils are lymphoid tissue similar to a lymph node. Like a lymph node it contains cells that help to fight infection and can swell in response to that infection. The tonsils are a part of a ring-shaped group of lymph node type tissue found around the back of the throat that includes the tonsils, adenoids, and tissue at the back of the tongue (known as Waldeyer's ring). Together, they act to help process infections in the nose and throat.


Tonsillitis

Unfortunately, sometimes the tonsils get infected and the infection can either be recurrent (happening over and over) or last for weeks or months (chronic). Symptoms of tonsillitis may include sore throat, trouble swallowing, earache, fever, enlarged neck lymph nodes, and headache. Usually tonsillitis responds to antibiotics taken by mouth. If antibiotics fail to get rid of the infection or the infections continue to recur, the tonsils may have to be removed.


Tonsillar Hypertrophy

In most children, the tonsils do enlarge some normally during childhood, when infections of the nose and throat are most common. They usually shrink as the child gets older and continue to shrink into adulthood. However, in some children, the tonsils continue to become larger and block the throat's swallowing and breathing passage. Symptoms may include heavy snoring, stopping breathing or gasping for air at night, trouble swallowing foods, or a "hot potato" voice. When the tonsils become enlarged and cause symptoms they sometimes have to be removed.

Please also read about tonsillectomy and tonsillectomy post-op page.