swollen toncils

[paige04]

My daughter is 4 and her toncils are swollen really bad.. no puss or white or yellow and i took her to the doctor and they first said it was a virus. Secondly I took her back to the doctor and they gave her amoxicillin and they are still big I am so worried it could be cancerous.. My moms friends son had sore throats and swollen glands and come to find out he had lukemia and that is so frieghtening please help

[Enoch Choi, MD]

I'm glad OtoHNS_MD listed reasons for taking out tonsils.  Does your daughter have any of these reasons?

I agree that those are good reasons to consider removing tonsils.

[paige04]

Thank you very much for all of your opions and she has never had strep or anything.. no fever no nothing I just thought that was wierd and the doctor wants to take them out

[OtoHNS_MD]

I disagree that tonsils are rarely taken out now.
Tonsillectomy is still one of the most common surgeries
in the US.  The criteria for removal are actually quite straightforward...recurrent/chronic infections and airway obstruction/apneas are the most common indications.  

I also think it depends on your ENT as far as eagerness to perform tonsillectomy.
I have talked MANY patients OUT of having surgery because I didn't think it was indicated.

Surgery is always a risk/benefit analysis where the benefit should outweigh the risk.

Just because tonsils are big does NOT mean they should come out.  If you daughter is having difficulty breathing, gasping for air at night, or having 5-10 apneas (where she stops breathing) I would recommend tonsillectomy.  If she is having recurrent strep throat and needing antibiotics every other month...if she is missing a lot of school because of the infections...if she has had complications from tonsillitis such as a peritonsillar abscess, she may benefit from surgery.  

[Enoch Choi, MD]

Tonsils are rarely taken out now, unless they've caused persistent hearing problems

Just follow your ENTs advice.  They're pretty eager to take out tonsils if there's a reason to, so keep that in mind.  Ask your own primary care doctor, or another ENT for a second opinion if you're concerned.

[kingcobra544]

i also get SEVERELY swollen tonsils, since i was around 4 years old. i almost got them removed. but they stopeed swelling. and started again. i would wait a little while, see if the swelling goes down. i want to tell you, swelling of the tonsils are EXTREMELY common. i know ALOT, of people who have this problem. nothing to be worriede about it seems. but continue to go to the doctor regularly! i wish you the best of luck!

[paige04]

Do you think that they would have to be taken out??? I am just so worried

[Enoch Choi, MD]

swollen tonsils are common even after antibiotics.  if they're not obstructing breathing, don't worry about leukemia, that would be the last thing i'd think of as the reason for swollen tonsils.