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What are
tonsils?
Tonsils are
the two lumps of tissue, each about the
size and shape of a large olive, in the back
of your throat on either side of your tongue. The tonsils and adenoids form a ring of
tissue in the back of the throat. If the tonsils and adenoids
are large, they narrow the airway and reduce the flow of air into
and out of the lungs. A swollen tonsil may cause snoring,
breathing problems and even sleep apnea. Tonsils are
lymphoid tissues - the type of tissue that the body uses as a
defense mechanism to fight infections. Lymphoid tissues are present
all along the lining of the nose, mouth and throat as well as in the neck, groin, and armpits.
As you get older, the tonsils
become less important in your body's defense
system. They also become smaller. If the tonsils get
infected often in your teenage years, then
your tonsils may continue to be swollen even when you reach adulthood.
Do tonsils play in
role in protecting us from infections?
 Yes! But mostly when you were a
baby. In the first two to three years of childhood, these
tissues "catch" infections, sampling the individuals environment to
help develop childhood immunities (antibodies).
They make a small portion of the body's
defense systems and almost vanish, as we get
older.
In some
cases they can catch incoming germs, which cause infections. They
can get infected often and swollen enough to touch each other in the
back of the throat. They are sometimes so large that they touch each other from side to side, also known as "kissing" tonsils.
What
would happen if I had my tonsils
removed?
A
medical study has shown that children who suffer from frequent
episodes of tonsillitis (such as 3-4 times each year for several
years) were healthier after their tonsils were surgically
removed. It is important to know that children who must have
their tonsils and adenoids removed suffer no loss in their body
resistance to infections.
We
will discus a new method of treating tonsils in detail later in this
site. If you are a physician or surgeon and would like to see
the detail please read the Tonsillar
Radioablation.
Make your appointment online now
for consultation & evaluation!
1-800-206-2000
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