When Good Tonsils Go Bad

Your tonsils are nothing more than tissue masses, like lymph glands, that sit in the back of your throat, near the entrance to your nasal passages, where they can catch germs and bacteria that can cause infection. Tonsils are a welcome addition to our immune systems and help to filter out germs and bacteria before they have a chance to take hold in our bodies and cause further damage. They may also help our bodies create antibodies to germs. Interestingly, no scientific evidence exists to suggest that removal of the tonsils weakens an individual’s immune system.

There are some common problems that can affect your tonsils. General infection of the tonsils is called ‘tonsillitis’. Many of these infections occur in young children, with throat and ear infections the most common. The tonsils may be come enlarged, so that your doctor may decide removal of the tonsils is the best course of action to avoid chronic tonsillitis, future breathing problems or difficulties with swallowing.

Another common problem is abscess. Abscesses are small areas of infection that develop around the tonsils. They make smell bad and may form a cheesy-looking coating in the back of the throat. Your tonsils will be sore and feel very swollen. Simple swallowing will be very painful. Additional, tumors can grow on the tonsils, but this is not common.

Along with these issues, you may hear your doctor use the term “cryptic” tonsils. Your tonsils have small, pitlike depressions called ‘crypts” which can become infected. Sometimes hard white “tonsil stones” develop in the crypts. These can contribute to bad breath which does not improve with brushing your teeth. Some patients can even pick these tonsil stones out with a fingernail or Q-tip. They usually smell bad. Because the affected area is hidden away from view, your doctor is best qualified to diagnose cryptic tonsillitis. The treatment is the same as for tonsillitis.

After a thorough examination by your physician, it may be recommended that your tonsils be surgically removed. There are two main reasons your doctor may decide to do this. If you have had recurrent infections, even though you have been treated repeatedly with antibiotics, your doctor may feel removal is the best course of action. If your tonsils are chronically enlarged, this may be causing snoring at night and breathing problems too. In children, these problems can cause deformities in the face and jaw and improper alignment of your teeth.

Chronic infection of your tonsils can be a cause of painful ear infections, which could lead to hearing loss.

As in all health matters, it is important to seek out and follow your doctor’s advice.

Dr. Douglis is a Board Certified specialist in Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Ear, Nose, and Throat). He attended the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine and completed his specialty training at the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He has practiced medicine in Montgomery County Texas and the Houston area since 1982. To return from Tonsils and Adenoids to our homepage slick here