Knowing about Tonsils

What are Tonsils?

The tonsils are paired tissue in the back of the throat and are part of the immune system. The function is to help identify and fight infections caused by viruses or bacteria. Although they can be beneficial, they can cause problems if they are enlarged or become infected.

Symptoms of Enlarged Tonsils

When the tonsils are enlarged, they can cause a variety of symptoms. Sometimes they cause no problems at all. In other cases, they can cause or contribute to snoring and sleep problems. According to the best ENT doctor in Jaipur, common problems associated with enlarged tonsils are partial airway obstruction during sleep that results in restless sleep, frequent awakening from sleep etc. In some cases, they can also cause trouble swallowing foods due to obstruction.

How are Enlarged Tonsils evaluated?

The best ENT surgeon in Jaipur can visualize the tonsils directly by having your child open his or her mouth widely. Sometimes a tongue depressor must be used to see the area fully. If the symptoms are not clear, the doctor can recommend a sleep study to better determine how severe sleep problems are.

What is the Treatment for Enlarged Tonsils?

If the tonsils are enlarged but are not causing symptoms, often no treatment is recommended. This is because as the child gets older, most of the time enlarged tonsils will become smaller and smaller. If the tonsils are causing problems with sleep, your ENT surgeon may recommend tonsillectomy. This is needed for patients who have obstructive sleep apnea with enlarged tonsils. If your child is having disturbed sleep that results in problems with sleepiness or behaviour in the daytime, tonsillectomy is recommended. Commonly, when the tonsils are enlarged, the adenoids are also enlarged and can be removed during the same surgery.

Diagnosis and Treatment

If you think you are dealing with tonsillitis, visiting an ENT doctor in Jaipur is the first step. The doctor would be determining the root cause of your condition. Two tests may also be performed via a cotton swab that is used to gently take a sample from the back of the throat and tonsils:

• , which lets you know within minutes if you actually have strep throat.
• , which has to be sent to a lab and takes a few days to process.

If the strep test is negative, the ENT doctor will most likely want to wait for the throat culture to be sure of the diagnosis.