Health

Should You Get Tonsillectomy to Treat a Tonsil Infection?

If you’ve experienced long periods of tonsil infection without relief, to the point where you need to take time off from work, then you may want to consider a tonsillectomy. They are a relatively simple and quick procedure but recovery can be quite difficult, especially for adults which is why it should take some serious consideration.

There are a few ways to determine whether or not you need a tonsillectomy to put your tonsil infection to rest. I’ve discussed each below to make this easier to see if you qualify.

Also, it should go without saying, please consult your doctor before going through with the surgery. I’m merely giving you some advice to help you reach a decision.

Signs That You Need To Remove Your Tonsils

As you know, tonsils are found at the back of your throat and play a part of the immune system to help fight infection, or so they are said. Due to the frequency of them themselves getting infected, many believe that they are a waste of space and don’t fulfill their purpose.

Whether or not this true is yet to be seen but it can’t be denied that you can live a healthy life without them.

Now that does not mean that everyone should remove their tonsils just because (like they did a couple of decades ago), given the consequences (i.e. the recovery process) I still feel the surgery takes some qualifying.

Below I’ve outlined some situations where I think those affected should go through with the operation.

  1. Chronic Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is easily the most common tonsil infection and I imagine most of you have experienced it before. The symptoms it causes are often so painful and uncomfortable time off work needs to be taken for recovery. These include a sore throat, enlarged tonsils, trouble swallowing, trouble speaking, and ear pain.

Viral infections can cause tonsillitis but bacterial infections account for at least 30% of tonsil infections, which is why they’re usually treated with antibiotics. However, this only works if the situation is not severe and does not occur regularly.

It is considered dangerous if someone experiences the infection with these symptoms more than 5 times in a year or 3 times in 2 years. This is a situation of chronic tonsillitis and the best way to treat it would be with a tonsillectomy.

Therefore, if you are in this situation then I would recommend you consult your doctor about the operation.

  1. Problems with Antibiotics

If you have used prescribed antibiotics to treat your tonsil infection to no avail then it’s likely that your body has built up a tolerance to it. Therefore making it ineffective.

After checking with your doctor to see if there are any other solutions to the infection, I recommend you have a chat with her/him about getting a tonsillectomy. Especially if the infection is giving you serious grief.

  1. Enlarged Tonsils – sleeping problems

As a result of a previous infection, it is possible for tonsils to grow in size. And as a result of this, some problems can arise. This can include trouble swallowing, throat pain and, most importantly, trouble sleeping.

As I’m sure you know, ensuring a good night’s sleep is needed for a healthy and happy lifestyle. If you don’t get your required number of hours of deep sleep each night (which is different for everyone) then you could experience some pretty serious problems.

Particularly excessive stress, lack of concentration and high levels of tiredness throughout the day.

Therefore, if the size of your tonsils is restricting your breathing during the night then I highly recommend you visit your doctor. She/he may suggest other treatments initially but a tonsillectomy will always be a viable option.

  1. Continuous Tonsil Stones

Tonsil stones are little clumps of dead cells, old food particles, and mucus that have gathered together and calcified within the crypts of tonsils. They cause a number of symptoms which cause pain and discomfort just like tonsillitis (most people actually get them confused).

If you’re continually finding these stones at the back of your throat and the symptoms never seem to go away, then it might be necessary to talk to your doctor. There are many remedies for treating this infection at home but if none prove effective then a tonsillectomy for tonsil stones may be your only option.

Final Words

It’s difficult to determine the right time to go and consult your doctor. I recommend going after you’ve tested or ventured down every other possible option without success.

The recovery process after a tonsillectomy is not to be laughed at as it will have a big impact on your active life for a short period of time. Just make sure you have a good discussion about it with your friends, family and doctor and I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.

If you have any questions, please ask below!