Handy Health Guide to Sore Throats by Alvin Silverstein

Author:Alvin Silverstein [Silverstein, Alvin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4645-1259-9
Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2014-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

WHAT IS TONSILLITIS?

For years, people believed that tonsils were useless blobs of tissue. They often became red and swollen when a person was sick, and seemed like easy targets for infections. If a person had tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils) several times, doctors usually took out the person’s tonsils.

Doctors now know that your tonsils are a very important part of your immune system. These blobs of tissue are filled with special disease-fighting cells that trap invading germs and destroy them before they get a chance to reach the lungs. Many doctors believe that when the tonsils get red and swollen (inflamed), they are just doing their job. They are busy fighting germs.

Nevertheless, people who get tonsillitis three or four times a year may need to have their tonsils taken out—especially if the tonsils swell up so much that it is difficult to eat and drink. When this happens, the tonsils are no longer helping the body. A tonsillectomy is a common operation today. The patient can usually go home the same day. After the operation, the patient’s throat will be sore, and he or she will not be able to swallow solid foods for a while. Soft foods, such as gelatin or pudding, are good choices after having a tonsillectomy.

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