A patient with frequent tonsil inflammation has been fighting with his tonsils for more than 10 years. But some people on the Internet say that tonsils are one of the immune organs of human beings and it is better not to cut them; no surgery, right? But it seriously affects the life and work, and also fears to cause other diseases in the body …… We will talk about whether it is good to operate or not to operate the tonsils today? What are the indications?
First, let’s understand the function of the tonsils.
The tonsils, also known as the palatine tonsils, are a pair of tonsils located in the tonsillar fossa, part of the pharyngeal lymphatic circulation, and have certain immune physiological functions that help the body destroy invaders such as bacteria. But the tonsils themselves are an easy place to “hide” and can harbor some conditionally pathogenic bacteria (such as streptococcus), waiting for an opportunity to invade the body. When the immunity of the body decreases due to exertion, cold, or medication, a series of diseases will appear, including acute tonsillitis, tonsillar abscess, sore throat, and fever, which affect life, work, and study, and glomerulonephritis and endocarditis caused by the systemic immune response. If the inflammation is not controlled in time, even life-threatening abscesses in the parapharyngeal space and sepsis may occur.
Should the tonsils be surgically removed or not? What are the symptoms that warrant surgical removal of the tonsils?
Only if the inflammation is irreversible and the harm is far greater than the benefit. Specifically: ① Excessive enlargement of the tonsils, which prevents breathing and swallowing.
②Recurrent acute attacks, more than 2-3 times a year, with a history of peri-tonsillar abscesses.
③Those who have chronic exudative otitis media due to tonsillar and adenoid hypertrophy affecting the function of the eustachian tube, and whose conservative treatment is ineffective.
④Other organ lesions such as nephritis and rheumatism due to tonsillitis should be operated electively under the guidance of a doctor.
⑤ Those with diphtheria carriers who are ineffective after conservative treatment.
(6) Those with long-term low fever and no other lesions other than tonsillitis in systemic examination. (7) Various benign tonsillar tumors can be removed together with the tonsils.
It is important to emphasize that children with recurrent inflammation of the tonsils should be examined for adenoid hypertrophy and adenoiditis. This condition not only affects the growth and development of children, but also causes bronchitis, pneumonia and other upper respiratory diseases. After the diagnosis is confirmed, tonsils and adenoids should be removed after controlling the inflammation.
People usually think that after tonsillectomy, if you get a cold, you will get bronchitis or pneumonia because there are no tonsils to block it. After tonsil removal, there is only a transient change in immunity, which can be recovered in a short time, and the nasopharynx will compensate for its immune function. In both adults and children, tonsils should not be kept when they are causing much more disease than their immune function.