I know I have… Well check out this article written by Dr. Christopher Chang from Fauquir ENT
Where he explains the importance of your Tonsils and what happens when they are enlarged or swollen.
The tonsils are located in the back of the mouth flanking the uvula along the sides of the throat. The adenoids are located above and behind the uvula and can only be seen on endoscopy. The tonsils and adenoids are basically lymph nodes just like in your neck, but rather than being hidden under the skin, they are on the surface of your throat where you can see them. As such, removal of the tonsils and adenoids have minimal, impact on a patient’s immune system as there are thousands of other lymph nodes that can pick up the slack.
The tonsils and adenoids generally regress in size with age to the point they can be quite small in adults. However, it is not unusual for children to have enormous tonsils the size of walnuts and even ping pong balls. Adenoids may be similarly enlarged.
Sometimes the tonsils can be so large that a patient may have trouble swallowing and even affecting taste such that eating becomes a chore. Not only that, they may impact sleep as there is not much room for air to pass resulting in obstructive sleep apnea which is a serious medical condition.
Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:
loud snoring
restless sleep
daytime sleepiness
irritable daytime behavior
difficulty waking
witnessed apneas and/or struggling to breath at night
head bent backwards while sleeping
mouth-breathing while sleeping
Want to read more?
Click on the link below to finish reading it:
Check out this video that shows How a Tonsillectomy is Performed (GRAPHIC):
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