Patient's question:
tonsils frequently inflamed for a long time without improvementDoctor's answer:
After a child turns one year old, the tonsils begin to develop, reaching their peak development during the preschool years. As the gateway to the respiratory tract and an important immune organ that plays a role in eliminating pathogens, tonsils are prone to inflammation when pathogens invade. Purulent tonsillitis caused by bacteria is a common and frequently occurring disease among young children and preschoolers.When tonsillitis is acute, children often experience high fever, sore throat, significant redness and swelling of the tonsils, or the presence of yellowish secretions. Most cases of chronic tonsillitis show no obvious symptoms, or may manifest as persistent low fever, poor appetite, or nonspecific symptoms such as swollen cervical lymph nodes.
Recurring tonsillitis can affect a child's health and normal development. Among these, chronic tonsillitis poses the greatest risk, potentially leading to serious conditions such as rheumatic fever, nephritis, or myocarditis. Children with long-term tonsillitis may also develop frequent mouth breathing and poor sleep apnea, which can result in conditions like pigeon chest, funnel chest, or even cor pulmonale. Therefore, this condition should not be taken lightly.
Acute tonsillitis should be treated with antibiotics such as penicillin. There are many treatment methods for chronic tonsillitis, including pharmaceutical interventions (both traditional Chinese and Western medicine), physical therapy, tonsil (sealing therapy), and surgical treatment. When considering tonsillectomy for a child, it must be done with extreme caution, and the indications for surgery must be strictly evaluated. Tonsillectomy should not be performed hastily between the ages of 3 and 5.
Children with the following conditions may be considered for elective surgery:
1. Repeated episodes of acute purulent tonsillitis or peritonsillar abscess, with tonsillar hypertrophy that obstructs breathing or speech.
2. Chronic tonsillitis leading to frequent middle ear infections or cervical lymphadenitis, or the development of conditions such as rheumatic fever, myocarditis, arthritis, or nephritis.
3. Repeated infections resulting in prolonged low fever, poor appetite, or malnutrition. Surgery should be performed after the child turns 5, with particularly severe cases potentially being considered for surgery between the ages of 2 and 3. The surgery should be scheduled when the tonsillar inflammation is well-controlled and the child's overall condition is stable.