Chronic tonsillectomy in adults?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Dr. CCII Nguyen Van Thai - Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Vinmec Danang International General Hospital. Thai doctor has more than 17 years of treatment experience, especially in the field of Head and Neck Surgery.
The tonsils are two pink masses the size of a fingertip, located on either side of the throat wall. The tonsils help produce antibodies to protect the body against bacteria that enter through the food and airways, but because of this, the tonsils are prone to inflammation. Chronic tonsillitis is more common in adolescents than adults. So should chronic tonsillitis in adults be removed?

1. What is chronic tonsillitis?

Chronic tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils that lasts for a long time, gets worse and recurs many times a year. Repeated infections can form cysts in the tonsils that are filled with bacteria. Small, foul-smelling stones are often found in the cysts. These tonsil stones can contain large amounts of sulfa, which when crushed give off a characteristic rotten egg odor that causes bad breath. On the other hand, chronic tonsillitis can produce a feeling of choking in the patient at the back of the throat.

2. Symptoms of chronic tonsillitis

When suffering from chronic tonsillitis, the patient often has the following symptoms:
Feeling stuck in the throat, sometimes painful, dry cough, hoarseness, bad breath.... The patient has a high fever, the whole body. fatigue, pain, swollen lymph nodes in the corner of the jaw. Chronic sore throat, painful swallowing, dry throat, phlegm in the throat. When opening the mouth to observe, the throat mucosa will be red and swollen, 2 tons of tonsils are swollen and red, there are slits containing caps, can even form an abscess around the tonsils with false fragments. opaque white...

3. Diagnosis of chronic tonsillitis

The diagnosis will be based on an examination of the throat. Your doctor can culture germs from a patient sample by lightly smearing the tonsils and back of the throat. Culture specimens will be sent to a laboratory to determine the cause of chronic tonsillitis.

4. Treatment of chronic tonsillitis

Initial treatment for recurrent or chronic tonsillitis includes: Stay hydrated and manage pain. If there are signs of dehydration, the patient should see a doctor immediately. To control pain, over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, throat lozenges or sprays can be used.
In some cases, the doctor may recommend that the patient have tonsillectomy to significantly reduce the number of sore throats and the number of times that need to be on antibiotics in a year. This method also helps to improve life, work and study.

5. Should chronic tonsillitis be removed?

Chronic tonsillitis, if not promptly operated on, will cause many dangerous complications such as airway obstruction, difficulty swallowing, painful swallowing, fever, swollen lymph nodes, snoring or even sleep apnea, .... tonsillectomy is very popular nowadays. However, it is necessary to have an appointment of a specialist in ENT:
Usually, the doctor will appoint surgery in case the patient has chronic tonsillitis (recurring 5-6 times/year). In addition, patients should only have surgery when tonsillitis causes complications such as: otitis media, sinusitis or severe complications such as: rheumatic heart disease, arthritis, glomerulonephritis, .... In the absence of If the tonsils are inflamed, but the tonsils are too large, preventing eating, drinking, snoring, and sleep apnea, they should also be cut.

6. Who should not have tonsillectomy?

Absolutely no surgery for patients with some systemic diseases such as: bleeding diseases, blood clotting disorders, hypertension, heart failure, .... For patients with diseases of the nose, sinuses, Influenza, measles, dengue fever... must be treated until the exacerbation is stable and then cut. Patients with diabetes, hepatitis, tuberculosis, syphilis, AIDS, ... or women who are menstruating, pregnant, lactating women, children under 5 years old or Adults over 30 years old need a doctor's prescription before surgery.

7. Lifestyle for patients with chronic tonsillitis

Rest allows the body to focus its energy on fighting the infection. Drink plenty of water to help prevent throat dryness and discomfort, so use warm, caffeine-free drinks to soothe. Gargling with salt water can relieve discomfort. Using an air humidifier or sitting in a humid bathroom can reduce irritation caused by dry air. Avoid irritants such as cigarettes and places with a lot of smog. Take medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help relieve pain and fever. In summary, chronic tonsillitis causes many disadvantages in daily life for patients. Therefore, when there are signs of tonsillitis, the patient should go to a medical facility for examination.
Currently, the ENT specialist - Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the prestigious addresses, trusted by a large number of customers in examining and treating common ENT diseases, tumors. head, face, neck, congenital malformations in the ENT region by common surgical methods such as surgery, microscopic or endoscopic tympanic patch, fistula removal, Bondy surgery, nasopharyngeal aerosol, injection Not only has a system of modern facilities and equipment, Vinmec is also a place to gather a team of experienced doctors and nurses who will greatly assist in the diagnosis. diagnose and detect early signs of abnormality of the patient's body. In particular, with a space designed according to 5-star hotel standards, Vinmec guarantees to bring patients the most comfort, friendliness and peace of mind during the examination and treatment at the Hospital.

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