More terrible than the cold wave, I’m afraid that the flu, colds, fever, sore throat …… baby tonsils and inflammation, back and forth, so that parents both heartache and headache! In the end to take the tonsils this “abrasive spirit” how to do? Where are the tonsils? Deep in the throat, there is a mysterious tissue called the pharyngeal lymphatic ring, which is made up of lymphatic tissue. The pharyngeal lymphatic ring consists of four interconnected parts: the pharyngeal tonsils (also known as adenoids) at the back of the nose, the lingual tonsils at the base of the tongue, the palatine tonsils between the two palatine arches, and the tubular tonsils at the opening of the Eustachian tube. The tonsils that we commonly refer to as the palatine tonsils are the palatine tonsils that are visible on the palate. That’s why when a child has a fever, the doctor will always tell the child, “Here, look at the throat, ah~~”, and a very important part is to look at the tonsils. Why are the tonsils always inflamed? Tonsils are lymphoid tissues that are located at the junction of the respiratory and digestive tracts and play an important immune function. It captures harmful antigens, presents the antigenic information to the immune organs, and produces antibodies and cytokines to protect the body. The immune system of infants and young children is not yet perfect, and when bacteria and viruses invade, the tonsils are like soldiers guarding the palace, which is a very important security guard for the human body. However, due to the special location of the tonsils, it is also very susceptible to a “double whammy”, especially when the temperature drops or the body’s immune system declines, it is easy to get infected. At this time hidden in the surface of the tonsils or hidden nest of bacteria, viruses, can not sit still, will be in the tonsils on the crazy growth, triggering inflammation, that is, “tonsillitis”. What should I do if my tonsils are inflamed? Tonsillitis is a common type of upper respiratory tract infection in children. Symptoms include sudden onset of sore throat, high fever, accompanied by chills, headache, etc. Tonsillitis can be seen to be congested and enlarged in the hospital, and part of the secretions can be seen to cover the tonsils. If tonsillitis is diagnosed, it is necessary to go to the hospital in time and decide on oral medication/infusion treatment according to the examination results and the condition of the patient. Viral tonsillitis is self-limiting and can be cured by resting and drinking plenty of water, and by fever-reducing and pain-relieving treatments. Bacterial tonsillitis requires antibiotic treatment. If streptococcal infection is identified as the cause of tonsillitis, the course of antibiotics should be at least 10 days, and antibiotics should not be stopped just because the body temperature improves. Can I cut off my tonsils if they are always inflamed? As you can see from the picture above, there are dozens of inwardly recessed crypts on the tonsils, which help to increase the contact area between the tonsils and the outside world, and facilitate the tonsils to come into contact with more antigens. However, these crypts are also a good place for bacteria to hide, which can cause recurrent tonsillitis, requiring repeated use of antibiotics, if this is the case, it is better to remove the tonsils. Parents do not have to worry, the removal of tonsils in children does not have much effect on immune function. Tonsillectomy can be considered if the recurrent episodes reach the following conditions: 1. 7 or more episodes of tonsillitis in the previous 1 year; 2. 5 or more episodes of tonsillitis per year in the previous 2 years; 3. 3 or more episodes of tonsillitis per year in the previous 3 years. Or there are the following conditions: 1, tonsillitis has caused parapharyngeal space infection or peritonsillar abscess; 2, unexplained low-grade fever and other tonsillar origin diseases, such as acute nephritis accompanied by chronic tonsillitis, rheumatoid arthritis when it appears, etc.; 3, excessive hypertrophy of the tonsils, which impedes swallowing, whistling or vocalization; or cause obstructive sleep apnea, sleep hypoventilation syndrome in children older than 2 years old. Tonsillar hypertrophy Tonsillar hypertrophy After birth, the tonsils of infants and young children will gradually develop and grow with age, and physiological tonsillar hypertrophy can occur in childhood. The palatine tonsils gradually increase in size at the age of 1 year, reach their peak at the age of 4 to 10 years, and gradually degenerate at the age of 14 to 15 years. If there are usually no symptoms, there is no need to rush to deal with it. However, if the over-enlargement causes Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypoventilation Syndrome (OSAHS), which is characterized by nocturnal snoring, open-mouth whistling, disturbed sleep, hyperactivity, excessive sweating, and urination, surgical excision may be considered.