Tonsils....the remove or not?????

[vettechick99]

I used to get tonsilitis a lot, not necessarily strep. I had my tonsils removed last June and it was the best thing I did for my throat. I never get sick in that area anymore and it was happening several times a year. I recommend it!

 

[mhara]

I would start improving his immune system with diet, making sure his nutrition is good, and chiropractic. All will help a person's immune system behave better, and lower the chances that he will continue to succumb to strep.

My mom fought the good fight with my nutrition and then I ruined it all at 20 by having my second-line immune system (nasal passages being the first spot that germs are caught) yanked out.

Went from painful but ultimately not terribly bad strep to letting the germs go into my lungs (poor tonsils were swollen because they were *working* for me), and now I get SCARY illnesses when I get sick. I'd prefer the sick and wrong sore throats, quite frankly!

And good for the ENT for knowing you can still get strep without tonsils.

I think possibly you're case is quite unusual? For most people, the tonsils act only as an aid to the immune system during the first year or two of life. After that, persistant infections in the tonsils can become chronic as they harbour bacteria and become damaged really. No amount of excellent nutrition is going to address that unfortunately.

I wouldn't advocate surgery unless it was absolutely necessary, but if my DD was suffering constant infections due to damaged tonsils, I'd get them removed.

 

[Tuffcookie]

My 2 grandkids, ages 7 & 6, are getting theirs out on the same day (June 9th)

My youngest DS had his removed around age 2 because of constant strep throat infections. Since then he has not had any more strep throat so I definately think it was worth it.

TC

 

[Christine]

My dd had hers out at age 9 due to severe enlargement. She did get strep throat often enough but not as often as your child.

Having them out was the best thing ever and she has never had a case of strep since.

 

[lukenick1]

Thanks everyone for your input.....now I wait for a referral from the Pediatrian who wasn't for taking them out. Wish me luck!

 

[joviroxx]

As a child, my issues were so bad, I had my tonsils and adenoids taken out when I turned 4. Have only had strep 1 time since then, Im now 43.

My kid, after 3 sets of tubes, had his adenoids taken out 5 years ago and has been infection free as well.

 

[taylor3297]

My tonsils were taken out I was 3. I will be 44 in 10 days and I had my first case of strep when I was 42 and so far that has been my only case of strep. I thought for sure I would have gotten it before then, since I taught school for 17 years.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I practically lived in the sick child daycare at the hospital where my mom worked when I was younger due to a myriad of strep infections. I have more memories of that than I do of kindergarten. But they never took my tonsils out. FWIW, I have not had strep since. I think I may be immune to every strain under the sun!

I am on my third sinus infection in about 6 months. When I went to the doc she asked me if my throat hurt because apparently my tonsils were rather large. (It started as a sore throat but feels fine now, maybe I just got used to it.) The comment has made me wonder if it would be worth it to get my tonsils out. I keep getting a lot of colds that iprogress to sinus infections. Then I end up with an asthma flare up (I have virus triggered asthma. Only time I have a problem is after an infection) which means steroids which means high blood sugars. I really hate it. Has anybody had theirs out for something other than strep?

 

[tasha99]

DD17 had them taken out when she was in 5th grade. She had missed so much school with constant strep that it was worth it! She's had it a couple times since then, but not a couple times a month. I'm so glad we did it because it turns out she's allergic to several antibiotics.

 

[tinkerbell198530]

After reading this thread I am considering getting mine out, becuse I am sick all the time

 

[lila]

OUT OUT OUT!

I had them out when I was 29 after years of sore throats and being sick all the time. It was discouraged in the 80s when I was little and had throat issue. I cannot tell you how much better my health has been. I wish my parents had sought a 2nd opinion for me as a child because it's not a fun thing as an adult.

 

[Evi]

take them out I'm 35 and mine should have been taken out when I was a child but mother didn't want them to. Now there acting up and I'll have to have them removed and I'll be honest I'm a little scared.

 

[disfan07]

I had mine taken out when I was 12.

I had strep 7 times between october and february that year. I missed a grand total of 8 weeks of school in 4 months (now that was fun...lol)

It got to the point where at my peds. office, when i would walk in there was a pool going on whether or not the strep test would come back positive..lol. I always knew when it was positive and when it was negative (if the strep test hurt, it was negative...if it didnt, it was positive...i was always right)

When we went to the ENT, he said that it didnt seem liek my tonsils were that swollen but with 7 positive strep tests and my bat mitzvah 4 months later he decided to take them out. Afterwards, he told my parents it was a good thing that he did because they were absolutely huge and completely infected.

Its been 8 years and ive only ever gotten strep once (now i just get sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, etc instead...lol)

 

[aprilgail2]

NO question at all- just remove them! My daughter missed 36 days of kindergarten due to strep throat...and not only strep throat- when she would get it she would spike 105.8 fevers, seizures etc....she is now 10 1/2 year old, has not had a fever over 103 since (and that was with swine flu), not ONE seizure and only one time in over 5 years has she had strep. Your Dr is correct that they can still get it but I would take those chances. At one point my daughter was on antibiotics 30 straight days to try to know it out of her, on day TWO of no antibiotics she had strep again! At that point it was pointless to keep treating. Tonsils are useless for some and actually cause problems rather than helping!