Tonsils-why do we have them?

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KSINGH

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if they have to be removed at an early age sometimes!
 
Theyre part of your lymphatic system that fights infection.

Reason they swell is because they are fighting the infection. Removing them removes a part of your defenses but stop the swelling in that area. Some people say its good, some people say its bad.

Not all countries remove them, and some countries are actually against them being removed.
 
I say it just sucks. One of my 7-month old twins was discharged from hospital yesterday, diagnosed with acute tonsillitis.
But what w1z4rd says makes sense, as he also has an upper respiratory tract infection.
He has not been a happy-camper, but seems to be on the mend.
 
I say its similar to your wisdom teeth, its a way of making money for doctors.

I am quite involved in with schools around Pretoria in the past 3 years all the students who had 100% school attendance from 4 schools in Pretoria didn't have their tonsils removed. Just an interesting observation I made :)
 
CodeMaster said:
I say it just sucks. One of my 7-month old twins was discharged from hospital yesterday, diagnosed with acute tonsillitis.
But what w1z4rd says makes sense, as he also has an upper respiratory tract infection.
He has not been a happy-camper, but seems to be on the mend.
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I dont have my tonsils at the moment and am fighting upper respiratory tract infection.. its now being about a week. Ironically my wife has tonsillitis at the same time... haha. What I have noticed, is she is way better already and I am still sick :( Though for a short time her throat was worse than mine.

It seems a trade off... she gets the bad swelling and stuff for a couple of days, I get a sore throat for about a week or two.

What I do recommend is if you have tonsillitis often then removing them is probally a good idea.
 
w1z4rd said:
I dont have my tonsils at the moment and am fighting upper respiratory tract infection.. its now being about a week. Ironically my wife has tonsillitis at the same time... haha. What I have noticed, is she is way better already and I am still sick :( Though for a short time her throat was worse than mine.
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HAHA, sorry... just had to laugh at that part... are they planning on returning any time soon? :D
 
zulgin said:
I say its similar to your wisdom teeth, its a way of making money for doctors.

I am quite involved in with schools around Pretoria in the past 3 years all the students who had 100% school attendance from 4 schools in Pretoria didn't have their tonsils removed. Just an interesting observation I made :)
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I guess one must be willing to wait it out until the swelling goes down. I think mine were removed when I was 2yo. Now my 2yo son has had 2-3 infections in the last 2 months.
 
KSINGH said:
I guess one must be willing to wait it out until the swelling goes down. I think mine were removed when I was 2yo. Now my 2yo son has had 2-3 infections in the last 2 months.
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I am under the impression that it helps with the adaption of season changing, that is when the majority catch a flue, cold or start sneezing.
 
CodeMaster said:
HAHA, sorry... just had to laugh at that part... are they planning on returning any time soon? :D
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LOL bad wording.

Your post comes at a funny time, my wife and I are debating whether or not our child should have his or her tonsils removed. Right now she is the authority as she is a doctor, but she is not a ears throat and nose specialist.
 
I was almost dead because of mine being swollen, since the removal of mine 10+ years ago. I have not been seriously sick since
 
I always thought tonsils were the evolutionary remains of our gills. :o
 
Voicy said:
I always thought tonsils were the evolutionary remains of our gills. :o
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Well part of them... kinda like our lungs as well. Our gills became lungs and other bits, part of those other bits where parts of the lymphatic system. Well thats how I understand it.
 
I dunno, we aren't at the stage where we need to make a decision yet.
I have never bothered to research the tonsils, so it was news to me that they are part of the lymphatic system, and help with fighting infection.
It seems like a catch-22 situation... on the little I have read so far, I think I would tend to lean towards NOT removing them in my boys when they are at that age.
 
lets check what our paediatrition says when he calls me back-hopefully today still.
 
I had my tonsils removed as a lightie, but believe it or not, they have roots, and if the roots arent removed (as mine weren't) they grow back. so sometimes I get a sore throat (few times a year as I smoke) and I have found the best, and CHEAPEST, most effective, and quickest option, is to gargle saltwater 3 or 4 times a day. beats paying for doctors and medicine, and my sore throat never lasts more than 3 days. ever. might sound like an old wives tale, but I havent spent a cent on my throat (other than smokes) in the last 10 years. god(dess)'s own truth right there

try it, and believe.

ps saltwater tastes yuk, and might make you minibarf, but a drink after (even plain ol water) and problem solved.
 
current thinking is not to remove. treat with antibiotics until infection clears. why destroy your first line of defence anyway?
 
auriga1000 said:
current thinking is not to remove. treat with antibiotics until infection clears. why destroy your first line of defence anyway?
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Current thinking by who?

Some doctors who are not ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists are conservative on recommending the removal of tonsils[citation needed], because the tissue cannot be put back, and some claim that removal decreases the power of the immune system[citation needed]. ENT specialists generally recommend removal if there are frequent recurrent tonsillitis, adenotonsillar hyperplasia causing symptomatic partial upper airway obstruction or asymmetry
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Can you point me in the direction of this "current thinking" so I can see what kinda doctors are saying what?
 
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