About the tonsils and adenoids

Tonsils and adenoids are part of a system of glands that encircle the back of the throat. Your tonsils can be seen on both sides of the back of your throat. The adenoids, however, are higher up behind your nose and the roof of your mouth and can't be seen. Both tonsils and adenoids are located next to the breathing passages in order to help catch infections and viruses that are trying to enter the lungs. By "catching" these infections, it is thought that the tonsils and adenoids help build your body's immunity to those germs.

Their job is done primarily in the first few years of life, and then the value of the tonsils and adenoids is thought to be minimal. People who have had their tonsils and/or adenoids removed as children have not seemed to suffer from more infections later in life.

Infections

When tonsils and adenoids become infected, they can swell (sometimes making it hard to breath or swallow) and cause a sore throat. This is known as tonsillitis.

If you have repeated infections (chronic tonsillitis), you may need to have your tonsils and/or adenoids removed. The eustachian tube (the tube that connects your ear to the back of your throat) can also be affected if you have chronic infection in your tonsils and adenoids. This can lead to additional problems with ear infections. Studies have shown that removing adenoids is helpful for children who have chronic middle ear infections.