Tonsillitis, an acute or chronic inflammation of the tonsils in the pharynx, is a common disease in childhood, especially when the seasons change and the weather changes, the tonsils are more likely to become inflamed, and some children’s tonsils are even repeatedly inflamed. Therefore, many parents are worried about it, but in the face of the issue of whether the child’s tonsils should be cut, but is caught in a variety of tangled.
First of all, let’s get to know the tonsils, the unattractive flat conical “meatball” located deep in the mouth on both sides under the palatal arch, which is like a “health guard” of the human body, can be from the respiratory and digestive tract of bacteria, viruses and It is an important part of the lymphatic ring of the pharynx and an immune response organ with an important barrier and defense role.
Why do tonsillitis occur more often in children?
This is because the lymphatic system of children is more developed, especially at the age of 4-10 years old, which is the peak of tonsillar development, but because the body resistance of children is relatively weak, easy to be attacked by a variety of bacteria, viruses, etc., therefore, childhood is prone to tonsillitis, but this situation will be with the continuous improvement of the child’s immune system and tonsils in adolescence gradually shrink and This will decrease as the child’s immune system improves and the tonsils shrink during adolescence. For infants under one year of age, tonsillitis is less likely to occur because the tonsils usually have not yet begun to develop by one year of age.
When a child suffers from tonsillitis, the first symptoms are often systemic, mainly chills, fever, aching limbs, and weakness, etc. The local symptoms are mainly sore throat, which is increased when eating or coughing.
If the tonsils become inflamed repeatedly or if the tonsillitis is not treated thoroughly, the tonsils will be transformed from the initial immune protection organ into a focal point of infection and can lead to various serious complications, such as myocarditis and nephritis. Does that mean that if you cut the tonsils, you can avoid its inflammation and everything will be fine? After all, tonsils are the body’s first line of defense against disease and play an important role in preventing disease and maintaining good health. If the tonsils are removed during the growth period, the body’s defenses may be compromised and, in general, the incidence of respiratory diseases in children increases after tonsils are removed.
So, should the tonsils be cut or not? It is a matter of weighing the pros and cons of removing the tonsils. In general, we do not consider removing the tonsils without foci, and when the tonsils are inflamed, we give the right amount of antibiotics first, but we need to consider removing the tonsils in the following cases: 1. The tonsils’ defense ability has been greatly reduced, and even become the “culprit” of systemic diseases, then you can consider removing the tonsils.
2.Tonsils are extremely enlarged and have affected the physiological functions of breathing, sleeping, swallowing and speech, so we can also consider removing them.
3, the degree of tonsillitis is more serious, has triggered the inflammation of adjacent organs, such as otitis media, paranasal sinusitis, etc., can also consider surgery to remove.
4.The recurrent attacks of tonsillitis have led to rheumatoid arthritis, myocarditis, nephritis and other systemic complications, which should be treated surgically.
5, suspected tonsil tumor tendency, should also be operated.
The “half-cut” method is suitable for children under 4 years old, or children with simple tonsil hypertrophy, or children who want to improve airway obstruction but still want to preserve the immune function of tonsils. When it is determined that the tonsils need to be removed, it is best to test the child’s immune function first, i.e., check the immunoglobulin or local secretory IgA status, and if the immunoglobulin is low, the surgery will not be performed for the time being.
The last and most important thing is prevention. Exercise more often to improve immunity and reduce the occurrence of respiratory diseases, and pay attention to keeping the mouth clean to reduce the chance of tonsillitis.