What are symptoms that
can be a result of enlarged tonsils?
Symptoms of
enlarged tonsils (tonsillar hypertrophy) can include any and all of the
following obstructive related symptoms:
- snoring and apnea spells,
- difficulty
swallowing,
- chronic mouth breathing, and
- at times speech delays in
children.
We have many lymph nodes in
our bodies, and the tonsils are essentially lymph nodes that we can see. Children tend to have their tonsils increase
in size until they reach the age of 8-9 years old. At that point, they will begin to regress and
shrink in size. Sometimes parents are
concerned about the size of their child’s tonsils because they are afraid they
are “too big.” We often have to reassure
parents that it is not just the size of one’s tonsils that we focus on, but
what symptoms are those tonsils CAUSING the patient. Many children, and even adults, have “big”
tonsils but their tonsils do not cause them any problems in terms of sleeping/apnea,
swallowing, breathing, infections, etc.
When the tonsils do not cause obstructive related symptoms, they do not
necessarily need removal unless there are other issues such as recurring
infections.
Please call for a consultation, 218-454-8888. We are conveniently located at Riverstone Professional Center, 13359 Isle Drive, Suite 1, Baxter.
Thank you!
Kurtis Waters MD
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