Need Advice or Experiences on My Sons Enlarged Tonsils.

Let me know if you get this double.

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2 of our 5 children have had their tonsils & adnoids removed. William was almost 3, he had chronic ear infections/sinus infections (even though he was nursed for a year!). Margaret was 3 also, she was a terrible sleeper & snored terribly. We had a sleep study done for William, but not Margaret. I would suggest a sleep study before you make up your mind. There are many other difficulties children can have from enlarged tonsils, other than ear infections. There are lots of studies on improper sleep and how it affects a child during the day, in and out of school. Attention span, impulsivity, inability to concentrate are just a few examples. Enlarged tonsils can alter people's sleep and a sleep study can show how your sons tonsils are affecting his and if he has any symptoms of sleep apnea or other conditions. (William's showed that he stopped breathing over 60 times!)

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Best Regards
C.

I agree with your homeopath... do not do anything! Your son was born that way for a reason, it will adjust later in his life. Until he has some major issue, leave it be.

Or; if you are overly concerned, take him to see a reflexologist. Certified Reflexologists can work specific areas of concern if there are any. They will not diagnose or prescribe anything (if they do - leave. This is out of scope of their practice!). It's completely safe to do at all times: when the person is healthy, ill, in the hospital - you name it. I work on my own son as this helps boost his immune system and keeps things in working order. Helps him relax, go to bed and much more... It's also a great bonding time for me and him as Dad just cannot give the foot rub the way Mommy can (according to my son, too!).

But remember: Everyone is born Perfectly the way they are. If nothing is wrong, it is not nice to mess with the balance of their life.

Hi M., I have had one enlarged tonsil for a few months and was told it was no biggie. It is more than likely from reflux or a post nasal drip. It feels weird for me to swallow but doesn't hurt. I have not had a sore throat but did have sinus issues in my head ie: headaches and I could tell I had fluid in my head. I started out on Amoxicilin in May, then Keflex in June, then two rounds of Cipro. At this point the sinus issues seem better but the tonsil is still huge but the doctors have told me to not worry about it. So I think they are right, antibiotics probably won't help.

Well I cant reallt tell you what to do about your sons problem but I can tell you about my experience with the same problem, I grew up with it, I always had very large tonsils, but never really got sick from them, then when I was about 28 yrs old I started getting strep throat every couple of months, horrible pain, feeling fatigued all the time this went on for almost 2 years until I went to an ENT specialist and he suggested that I get a Tonsilectomy, so I did, Having them out when I was younger would have been so much easier, but I did it and I have been very happy about it since I have only goten strep one time since then, that was 15 years ago, my youngest daughter samantha did not have big tonsils but she was getting strep 3 to 4 times a years so when she was 5 she had a tonsilectomy too, and for her it was a big help , I hope you seek a second opinion, and make the decision for yourself what is best for your child. Good Luck and God Bless. ps . when i did have the surgery my doctor told me to start chewig Juicy Fruit gume right away and it helped so much that i had the surgery on a friday and i was back to work on Monday, the gum keeps the saliva flowing and this helps speed recovery, I never had vomiting or bleeding afterwards K.

Schedule an appointment with an ENT. Both my niece and nephew had to have their removed at very young age (3 & 2 1/2)because they were so enlarged that it was cutting off their air supply and they would wake up gasping for breath or snore very badly. Once removed they both improved greatly.

I also had very enlarged tonsils all my life. I constantly battled one infection after another but the doctors never would take them out. I finally convinced a doctor at the age of 25. The ENT told me after the surgery that he has never seen tonsil and adnoids so infected in all of his career. I've been suffering from fibromyalgia for years now and the doctors seem to think that it could have been brought on by my infected tonsils. I also worked with a lady previously who had a similar story to mine and she suffers from different painful joint disorder now and her doctors think the same thing. I guess my message with this is if you truly feel your son needs to have them removed, then don't let the doctors deter you.

If you need a referal for an ENT let me know, I have a great one. (He performed all three of our surgeries.)

M.,

I agree with the other posts, antibiotics will not help if an infection is not present. However, I think you should look into why your son's tonsils are so large.

When I was a child I had strep throat and tonsillitis three to four times a year. By the time they were removed they were the size of golf balls and completely hollow! But I have since learned that I have food intolerances; most likely my body was trying to remove these "toxins" from my body and couldn't which caused my tonsils to overwork and become enlarged, then I was not able to sleep well so my immune system did not function properly and I became ill.

I suggest you talk to an allergist that specializes in children and food intolerances. Have your son tested to see what foods his body cannot process and see if eliminating these foods helps to reduce the size of his tonsils. You should see changes by six months after you alter his diet.

My son has seven food intolerances and we have seen major changes in his behavior and his health. He no longer has ear infections or serious colds and he sleeps much better at night.

Good luck!

I lived well into my 20's with swollen tonsils. One was nearly clear to the center thing dangling down that I cannot remember the name of :)

I was told the same thing, and to be honest, I didn't start snoring until after they were taken out. I now get ear infections... didn't have a one when I was a kid.

Alternatively, my friend's 11 year old daughter had adenoids and tonsils taken out. (BTW, she snores now too). The Dr said he had never seen them so large. The girl kept trying to pop her ears by plugging her nose and blowing, so they were truly intrusive.

I guess what I'm saying is, watch your child to see if they are affecting his life. Take all the chemicals you can out of his diet. If they do not affect him overall, leave them. If you notice things like hearing oddness, or eating oddness... the girl would only eat soft foods... then take them out.

I kinda wish I left mine in... I do get sick a lot more now.

I'll try not to be 'extreme' in either direction...as most extremes don't work! Antibiotics won't help unless there is infection present. My son had tonsils that would get so big they almost touched at times. I could hear it in his breathing, talking and def. snoring. Since I had mine out at 28, I wanted to spare my kids the horrible surgery as an adult. Tonsils are supposed to act as a filter, sort of, but often times harbor tunnels of infection that cannot be treated even with antibiotics. My 4 year old had his out without event, and wanted to hunt easter eggs the next morning! He used Tylenol only, whereas I had to have high doses of liquid Vicodin and Valium. For some reason it is a MUCH harder recovery as an adult.

I would suggest taking him to an ENT just to set your mind at ease.

~L.

Hi M.,

So what I am hearing is that you have received advice from your traditional doctor and homeopathe. The key word is toxins. If he has that many toxins in his body, my thoughts are to reduce the amount of toxins. With regards to his diet...is he eating fruits and vegetables, are you limiting his sugar intake, does he get a good source of protein in his body? Along with friendly bacteria (flora) can help his immune system and decrease the bad bacteria will help fight off the toxins. I know some things I have done for my daughter has helped her tremendously. She still has her tonsils.

If you would like more information, email me or call me at ###-###-####.

Warm regards,

M.

He does NOT need antibiotics if he does not have a confirmed bacterial infection! Giving him antibiotics in the absence of an infection only makes those bugs that are out there stronger (part of the reason we have "superbugs" that we have today).
If it is altering the sound of his voice, he is having a lot of snoring (especially if he didn't before), or has any difficulty swallowing, he may need to see a pediatric ENT. Otherwise, he just has big tonsils. Many people out there get along just fine with big tonsils and may not even know they're big.

I would leave them alone until it really becomes a problem. If they are keeping him healthy, why change it. I had my tonsils out at age 14, and I believe it would have been better to have kept them. Have him drink more healthy water to flush his body of toxins and see if that helps lower them.

Hope this helps.

Hello,
Well sometimes it takes a lot of bugging to get Dr's to do something. If he is snoring you could take him for a sleep study and see if its affecting his sleep, That is one way to get the Dr's to take take them out because sleep will affect his over all health. look up children and snoring. And make sure your insurance will cover the study.

Hi M.,

Tonsils that are just big are not a problem. 2 of my children have always had large tonsils, they may grow into them. Our doctors told us they are removed if there is a problem with them, like infection or sleep apnea. Are you sure that is the reason for his voice changes? Is he developing allergies? If you are really concerned then I would go to an ENT and have them check it out. Good luck!

antibiotics won't help if there is no infection present. There may be something in the child's environment that causes him to be "fighting off" what his body perceives to be an invader. I would check for allergies to pets, food, wool, feathers, anything that he is routinely around. Even detergents and soaps tha you use. I wouldn't start taking out organs just yet until you have exhausted all possibilities of the cause of inflammation, especially if it isn't impeding his development at this point. Tonsils are one of the first lines of defense in our immune system, if you take those away from your son, you may start to see some more serious health problems down the road. I'm not sure who your homeopath is but Margaret Paris is mine and she is fantastic, one of only 3 licensed in the state. She really knows what she is doing. YOu might also consider acupuncture, Dr. Mark Leventer in Grass Lake is awesome, and he also happens to be an M.D. he can provide rx supplements to aid the immune system, too. There are a lot of other avenues you can pursue before taking out your sons organs! Chiropractic might help too, perhaps your son has a subluxation of the spine where the nerves from that organ pass through, it could be as simple as an adjustment or two. Anyway, just a few ideas from a not-so-mainstream mom! Best wishes, J.

My husband at age 35 is going to be getting his tonsils out this fall. He has always had an oversized uvula and tonsils and had chronic sore throats as a kid, though. His ENT doctors say he should have had it done as a child. Now it's going to be major surgery. The deciding point came last May- we all got sore throats. My DD and I got well within a week or so. DH kept getting worse and worse until he couldn't swallow at all and wound up in emergency. Turns out he had an absiss behind one of his tonsils. The abscess was drained (very painful procedure done w/o sedation!) and he got better, but his ENT Specialist told him he MUST have his tonsils taken out or this may continue to happen. He will need to take at least a full week off of work, as this is major surgery at this age. Bottom line- his mom & dad could have saved him a lot of heartache when we was a kid and showed signs of "issues" with them if they'd just had them removed. Take your child to an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist) and get a professional opinion if you are concerned.

well so far 2 out of my 3 kids have had their toncils taken out, my 9 year old niece who lives with me had very enlarged toncils and she was having sleep apnea from it, snoring very loud at night and waking constantly, so she had hers removed, then last year my 5 year old had hers removed for the same reason, snoring all night, getting up alot and over hyper during the day from her lack of sleep at night, neither of them had infections but with the sleep symptoms my doc and ent doc both agreed to do it.
I found a great ent doc, he is a bit of an odd character but he is a book researcher and keeps up on new technology and he removes the toncils in a method that is much easier on the child, he leaves a lining of the toncil in so the bare muscle on the throat isnt exposed thus faster recovery and much less pain, my niece ate mcdonalds on the way home from the surgery only 3 hours after they cut them out, my kids sleep 10 times better at night and I can tell it made a difference, his name is Dr. Goodman out of white lake, if anything you can take him to a ear, nose and throat doc and get a second opinion.
giving him an antibiotic won't help because they are't infected. the one thing to keep in mind also is if they are big now, they will always be big and can cause much more problems in his adult life and it is much harder for an adult to have them removed, my husband had a throat infection and made his toncils swell and they never went back to original size, now he has sleep apnea and has to have a breathing machine on his face at night so his airway stays open.
just make sure you cover all your basis before making a decision
good luck

Wow, that truly is a blessing that its never caused an ear infection, my daughter had to get her tonsils and adnoids(spelling?) removed because she always got ear infections from them being so big. Also she would snore like a 40 yr old man. Have you seen an ear nose and throat specialist?
If they are saying no need to worry then I would just relax and count your blessings. I would just ask if its likley to cause sleep apnea(spelling?) later in life if you dont have them removed. Good luck to the both of you!

Hi M., I felt compelled to respond to your note based on our experience with our 2 year old earlier this year. Our son had one throat infection late last year (Dec) and our pediatrician noted that his tonsils were very large. The infection went away and later he was at the dr. office for a checkup and the dr. again noted how large his tonsils were, even though he didn't have an infection. We did notice, however, that he began snoring very loudly at night (which of course means that air is restricted), and that his voice was really raspy and his words weren't coming out clearly. Our pediatrician recommended that we see an ENT (Ear Nose & Throat specialist) just to get his opinion. What we found out there is that sometimes tonsils get this way even in the absence of infection. Our son's tonsils were not only growing IN toward each other in the back of his throat, but they were growing OUT into his mouth, thereby affecting his speech. Obviously he was scheduled for surgery right away and he's been great ever since. No more snoring and he speaks very clearly. Just know that occasionally there are needs to have tonsils/adenoids removed, even when there is no infection. We are living proof! Have an ENT check him out. Good luck!

seek out an ENT (ears nose throat dr) my son had enlarged tonsils too but he snored and THAT is why he had his removed....enlarged tonsils can and WILL reduce your sleep and make for a cranky kid......also embellish a bit they need to come out because as a teenager or an adult it gets worse to have them removed.....

My daughter also had enlarged tonsils and was never sick or had throat problems/illnesses. They did a sleep study when she was 1 1/2 and found that she had obstructed sleep apnea from her tonsils. We had them removed when she was 2 and did another sleep study and the sleep apnea had gone away. So, not sure if your son could have sleep apnea due to the tonsils, but stopping breathing at night freaked me out. I would suggest having them removed, especially if you are noticing differences in his voice. Good luck.

Hi M....
antibiotics aren't the answer for large tonsils. I realize that he's not had any illnesses related to them, but are they affecting his sleep patterns? Snoring is a symptoms of airflow problems. My son had larger tonsils that weren't ever infected, but we had them removed as the precurser to another surgery and he sleeps so much better. Deeper sleep.

Good luck
J.

My son had the same thing, only it was affecting his speech to where he couldn't say the "guh" sound, and also was giving him sleep apnea so he was tired and cranky during the day. Getting his tonsils out was the best thing ever. If your son isn't having any other problems caused by them, I'd leave them alone. You should check him in the middle of the night and see if he seems to stop breathing every few minutes and then catching his breath, as the apnea would be a good reason for removal.

Good Morning M.!

What a blessed son you have! He has such an alert and caring mother watching over him!

All I can give you is my 36 years (and counting)as a person with "large tonsils". I can't tell you how many times my doctors, dentists, and orthodontist would make comments about my really big tonsils. (It has become a little annoying to me now when they bring it up!!) But I (like your son) have been blessed with very good health.

I used to snore pretty severely when I was younger, but after I got married and had kids the snoring has all but gone away. (I think between my husband there to remind me to "roll over" when we were first married, and my mommy ear always listening to make sure the kids are all right, I sleep lighter now.)

You mentioned the sound of his voice, and since I am a singer :-) I just wanted to give you a little something to think about. (Not that he is going to want to be on American Idol someday, or maybe he might?? Who knows??) A lot of how our speaking and singing voices sound have to do with how our throats, voice box, sinuses, and in general how our physiology is put together from the neck up. And tonsils are part of that unique physiology that we all have. I feel mine have helped my voice and helped me sing well so that I could perform solos and earn scholorships. Another singer I know felt her large tonsils kept her from singing her best, so she had them removed when she was in her 20's. Just another angle to concider in this issue.

I also have a 10 year old son who has been blessed with my large tonsils. For now they are not causing him any health or sleeping problems, so we have made the choice to let them be. Two thoughts I have in making my decision for him is 1. there is research that shows that individuals who still have their tonsils are less likely to get certain types of cancers later in life and 2. his body is going to begin growing soon, so if he grows and his tonsils stay the same, there may be no large tonsils in 5-10 years. Time will tell!

Good luck! You are on top of it, so I'm sure you will make the best decision for your son!

Peace,
B.

My son was quite young when he got swollen lymph nodes. They too were cronicly swollen. It took my son forever to eat, and eating hamburger or steak was like forget it! He loves steak! We kept asking the Doc if we should have them removed they kept telling us no, they are not bothering him. Then when he was about 9, he started having really bad allergies to anything and everything! When he was 11 he ended up being put on an inhaler for asthma. They kept saying he don't need them out... Your lucky in that way! They kept giving my son an antibiotic and nothing ever took the swelling down. This past summer, I demanded to have a referral to see an ear, nose and throat Doctor. The ENT DR asked how long have they been swollen, We let him know that it has been as long as We could remember. We told him about the eating problems that had gotten worse. and he asked why is this the first time you have been to see me? We told him we were really not sure( not really a fun thing to do) Needless to say, My son ended up having his Tonsils and adnoids out! i can say we haven't used the inhaler all summer and no more snoring and He can eat at a normal pace, not fast just don't have to go through a gallon of milk or water to finish a meal. Oh yes, and my favorite No More Claritan or any other allergy meds!!!!

So my advice for you, watch your son and if he starts getting new symptoms then document it! The Dr never reviews the file until you demand for them to do something!

The Ear, nose and throat Dr will tell you that it is better to do the surgery at a younger age, because they recover faster! My son was 12 and it was not a fun time! I had friends that their children had them out when they were young and they were like "my child recoverd in a week".

Okay, well I hope this helps in some way!

A.

Hi M.,

My daughter had her tonsils removed when she was 5 years old. She was sent to an ear nose and throat doctor, because she did not pass her hearing test for kindergarten. She had never been sick with ear infections or sore throats either. Our pediatricain never suggested removing her tonsils. When the ear nose and throat doctor looked in her mouth he could not believe how big her tonsils were and they had not suggested removing them. He asked if my daughter snored a lot and if she slept through the night. I told him that she snored quit loudly and does not sleep through the night. He said it is not normal for a child to snore. If they are snoring it means something is restricting their breathing to an extent. We removed her tonsils and adenoids. Wow what a difference it made. She no longer snores and she started sleeping through the night. She also had more energy and looked healthier because she was getting the rest at night she needed. My advice to you is go see an ear, nose and throat doctor if your insurance allows it. Her not passing the hearing test was a blessing. Good Luck!!!!!

My husband and I both still have our tonsils (40/48); and, his are huge. Now he has been diagnosed with sleep apnea and they are in the way. However, because he is an adult there are some additional risks. He said that he didn't have a lot of infections as a kid and the doctors left them in. I agree with the one of the responses that suggested getting the opinion of an ENT, especially if the snoring increases. I agree that you are blessed with a son with great health, it is a wonderful gift! Maybe they won't do anything yet, or ever, but the doctor's opinion isn't going to hurt and then you would know.
B.

I would try to find out if he has allergies or if something in the home is irritating him. Is he on a good vitamin? Do you use a lot of chemical cleaning products in your home? Many of them are very toxic. It is not normal for the tonsils to be that enlarged for over a year. I have been a Dental Hygienist for over 30 years, and I distinctly recall one young girl that had huge tonsils and the physicians would not remove them- sometimes the doctors are too busy covering their you know whats!! It got to where she could not swallow her food and she stopped growing. We (the dental office) had to intervene with the physicians and insist that they do something. This can affect the growth of the facial bones, too, if their mouth is always open and they snore- can cause tooth crowding and the allergic face profile. When this girl got to be 10, they finally removed her tonsils, and she was able to eat and she grew into a beautiful girl. So, please try to find the source of the problem, but barring a resolution, sometimes they just need to be removed.
Sometimes switching to 'green' household products helps. If you are interested, you might want to check out a couple of short videos about cleaning products. www.therealdirtonclean.com is from Oprah's Earth Day Show.
www.theglobalsuccessteam.net click on "Toxic Brew"- this is a Canadian report on chemicals in household products- very enlightening.
I hope that you find a solution to your son's problem. Best Wishes.

I had this experience with both of my sons. The oldest ones were so large that when he got sick his tonsils would fall back into his throat and block his airway. His adnoids were also very large so it became a big issue. he was not sleeping very well and would not wake up rested even after 11 hours of sleep. He then started having some behavior issues due to lack of sleep. After fighting and fighting to NOT get them out i finally relented as listening to him over the monitor actually scared me with all the sleep apnea he started having.
Since having them out he has not been sick but 1 time with any kind of cold etc.. My SIL finally had hers done as an adult and her recovery was AWFUL. They say the younger the better.

I have never had mine out. we repeated the same issue with my middle son however his adnoids were blocking his eustachian tubes and his ears would not drain ( we tried chiropractor and other remedies. ) No relief.

Antibiotics will do no good if there is actually no bacterial infection. i am super super leary of antibiotics as i had a Aunt pass away from being given too many different antibiotics and she created an immunity.

I feel for you. The problem is so stressful. In my case I didn't want to do anything invasive but now I feel bad i waited so long.

Good luck with your decision. i know in our situation what we did worked. you might want to just go to a ENT to get their opinion.