Why do we take out Tonsils?

Although the tonsils are made of lymphoid tissue that is part of the body's defence system they can be a source of recurrent infections giving rise to sore throats with associated fever. If these are frequent and severe enough to affect a child or parent's quality of life, then removing them is a reasonable decision.

The tonsils may also enlarge and cause problems with breathing and swallowing. Children may have trouble with breathing at night and this may affect their quality of sleep - a condition called obstructive sleep apnoea. Some children with large tonsils have an increased sensitivity to swallowing harder textured food such as pieces of fruit and meat, which may cause them to gag or choke on such types of food.