Tonsils and adenoids are composed of tissue that are similar to the lymph nodes or ?glands? found in the neck, groin, and other places in the body. They are part of a ?ring? of glandular tissue encircling the back of the throat. The adenoids are located high in the throat behind the nose and soft palate (roof of the mouth) and, unlike tonsils, are not visible through the mouth without special instruments.
The tonsils are the two masses of tissue on either side of the back of the throat. “Tonsils and adenoids are strategically located near the entrance to the breathing passages where they can catch incoming infections” says Dr.Rehan Asif Siddiqui, an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist at Zulekha Hospital, Dubai. “They ‘sample” bacteria and viruses, and can become infected themselves. It is thought that they then help form antibodies as part of the body’s immune system to resist and fight future infections.”“This function is performed in the first few years of life, but it is less important as the child gets older. In fact, there is no evidence that tonsils or adenoids are important after the age of three. One recent large study showed, by laboratory tests and follow-up examinations, that children who must have their tonsils and adenoids removed suffer no loss whatsoever in their future immunity to disease”Dr Rehan says “Treatment of tonsillitis involves keeping the patient comfortable while the illness runs its course. This supportive care includes bed rest, drinking extra fluids, gargling with warm salt water, and taking pain relievers, usually NSAIDs. Tonsillitis usually resolves within a few days with rest and supportive care. If fever persists for more than 48 hours, however, or is higher than 102°F, the patient should be seen by a doctor. If antibiotics are prescribed to treat an infection, they should be taken as directed for the complete course of treatment, even if the patient starts to feel better in a few days.”According to Dr.Rehan, “Tonsillectomy is definitely required when the tonsils are so large they obstruct breathing, swallowing or both. Before surgery, however, antibiotics should be tried, perhaps for as long as a month. He also added that “Currently, tonsillectomy is believed to provide enough benefit to justify doing the surgery in children who have developed at least seven ‘significant’ episodes of throat infection in one year, or at least five in each of two years, or at least three in each of three years.”Dr Rehan says that “tonsillectomy has become very easy with less bleeding during surgery and faster recovery post op ever since he started using the Coblation Technique for doing tonsillectomy.” “Coblation is an advanced technology designed to quickly and gently remove tonsils and adenoids using high frequency energy and natural saline. Coblation technology does not rely on a heat-driven process to remove target tissue and is designed to preserve surrounding healthy tissue.Coblation involves applying high voltages to the conductive irrigant that is located between the electrode and tissue. The high voltage converts the conductive fluid into an ionized vapor layer (plasma).The ionized vapor layer contains excited particles which accelerate towards the tissue and break the tissues molecular bonds, resulting in tissue removal.View the original article here
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