Also called tonsils, the tonsils are a complete organ of the human immune system that provides protection to the respiratory tract. Just imagine: more than 70% of microorganisms that seek to enter the human body in this way are retained by the tonsils! It is not surprising that with diseases associated with the work of the tonsils, the general condition of the body is rapidly deteriorating – the risk of catching the virus increases.
Anatomy distinguishes four types of tonsils: palatine, nasopharyngeal, lingual and tubal. At the same time, we can see with our own eyes only the palatine tonsils and the nasopharyngeal if it is enlarged.
Diseases of the tonsils
Diseases associated with the work of the tonsils are quite common, and in some people they are permanent. These include:
- inflammation of the tonsils – it is also called tonsillitis and more often refers to the palatine tonsils;
- enlargement of the tonsils – to say that the enlargement of the tonsils is a disease in itself is not true, but because of it, the digestive, respiratory and auditory systems begin to work worse;
- neoplasms of a different nature;
- chronic tonsillitis is an autoimmune disease that leads to the restructuring of the tonsils and the acquisition of new diseases.
You can often hear that inflammation of the tonsils and chronic tonsillitis are one and the same. In fact, the principle of diseases is the same, but tonsillitis has an acute course, in contrast to chronic tonsillitis.
Treatment of tonsils
For a person who is faced with a disease of the tonsils, the most important thing is how quickly and in what ways the disease can be stopped. A couple of decades ago, doctors often recommended solving the problem radically – removing the tonsils. Fortunately, medicine continues to develop, and today there are other effective methods of treatment in the arsenal of specialists.
Which way the doctor chooses in the treatment of tonsils depends on what condition they are in. If the tonsils continue to perform protective functions, they try to save them by removing dangerous contents from the tissue and injecting drugs into it. But that’s not all – you will have to be more attentive to your immune system in order to restore its working capacity – to strengthen the immune system and adhere to proper nutrition.
If foci of infection occur more than three times a year, and the functionality of the tissues of the tonsils is impaired, which contributes to the appearance of other health problems, there is only one way out – to remove the tonsils. The removal of the tonsils is medically called a tonsillectomy. Moreover, it does not always involve the complete removal of tissue – sometimes it is enough to get rid of part of the tonsils in order to maintain their performance at least partially.
How to understand that the cause of ailments lies in the tonsils?
In fact, it’s hard to go wrong here. Yes, a feeling of weakness, discomfort and sore throat, elevated body temperature and general lethargy, even in combination, can speak of any problems in the body. But there are also symptoms that should give you the right idea:
- frequent tonsillitis;
- enlarged lymph nodes under the jaw;
- the formation of white or yellow content in the gland tissue with an unpleasant odor (the so-called caseous plugs).
If you notice any of these symptoms, this is an occasion to contact a specialist who will examine you and tell you what to do next.