Constant sore throats

[leemarie903]

I have had tonsillitis, throat infections, common sore throats ,and ear aches for over 5 years about every 2 months. They are so chronic that now one tonsil is permanently swollen and huge daily. I also get those gross white things once in a while on them.

The doctors recommend i go to a specialist and take them out, the specialist tell me becuz of my age-23- leave them in,...

 

Very annoying.......any ideas?

[waveseer]

Have them removed, you will be glad you did. The sooner the better.

[ur02111222]

Well, I think it's probably a good thing to have them removed if you get this sick all the time. I was a music major, and lots of singers get their tonsils removed in their 20s because of sickness. I don't know of any of them having complications. I think it's more painful the older you are, but they all said it's worth not being sick.

[Ivory_Tower]

I had the same problem. As it turned out I had a staph infection, it took four doctors visits and one to the ENT to finally figure it out.

[karvala]

There is something of a backlash against tonsillectomies these days, after they were performed with excessive frequency in previous decades. It sounds as though your specialist is part of the backlash. It's good to avoid surgery where possible for obvious reasons, but in this case from your description you would appear to be an ideal candidate for a full tonsillectomy. You should have the infections examined more closely as well, though; at the moment the tonsils are a big target that they are latching onto, but that's part of the tonsils job, and once they're removed it's possible the infections will simply appear elsewhere. It would be good to find out more about those before making a decision.

[tastytoothpaste]

The "gross white things" is a condition called Tonsilloliths, AKA "tonsil stones." It's food particles that get caught back there if you have deeply pitted tonsils, and also collects bacteria.

 

Honestly, it's time to get those taken out. In fact, you prob should've done it years ago. It's a very routine surgery that's very low risk and will relieve you from all of these problems.

[schueysgirl]

Its worth bearing in mind that sometimes when you have ur tonsils out, you are more prone to colds and sore throats because they are your first line of defence for killing off these common germs.

 

I had mine out when I was about 10, because i was suffering as you were with very sore throats and the tonsilitus was debilitating. I am glad I had it done, but don't think that once they are out that will be it...depending on ur general immune system you may still be prone to sore throats and colds. I get whatever colds and sore throats are going whenever anyone around me has them, where as my fiance who still has his tonsils does not.

 

You may not be the same as me, and of course having little niggly sore throats and colds is nothing compared to the pain on tonsilitus, but i just wanted to let u know the other side of it good luck x

[dangletsbang]

I had the same problems as you..from kindergarten till after I graduated..fortunately I decided to have them removed a year ago..and it literally went from having a sore throat once or twice a month [with pus pockets on them quite often] to having a sore throat MAYBE once a year..if that.

 

you'll be so glad you did.

[Cognitive_Canine]

Every person has a stage where their throat gives them major troubles. Most get them when in the age group of 6-9 though.

 

The doctors typically say "yank them out" as soon as they become a problem but the new thinking is to leave them in.

 

Tonsils collect bacteria that would otherwise have gone through your digestive tract. Those little white balls you keep coughing up? That's the bacteria, in concentrate.

 

After your tonsils are strong enough, the infections and sickness stop.

 

If you take them out, you've just taken out your bodies first line of defense against infection. It isn't a useless body part, as was previously thought.