Should the tonsils be removed?This is a tricky choice for many parents. Cut it - I am afraid that it will damage the child's immunity;Don't cut it - every time a child is sick, it seems that there are "tonsils" involved, and there are always some doctors who "kindly" remind them to cut off useless tonsil ......
To answer this question, there are three steps.
The first step is to rule out this situation.
There is a situation where there is definitely no need to cut. Not only do many Chinese medicine doctors not advocate cutting, but many Western medicine also do not advocate cutting. There is almost a consensus on this situation – there is no need to cut it, and parents don't have to worry about it anymore.
Let's take a look at the 2019 update to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery's clinical practice guidelines for tonsillectomy in children: Surgical removal of tonsils is strongly recommended for more than 7 episodes of tonsillitis in 1 year or more than 5 episodes per year in the past 2 years or more than 3 episodes per year in the past 3 years.
In addition, surgical removal of the tonsils is also recommended for frequent complications such as reverse burn, sore throat, tonsil discharge, swollen and suppurative neck, as well as symptoms such as slow growth, poor Xi, nocturia, asthma, and behavioral problems.
In other words, if you do not belong to the above conditions, for example, if you have tonsil inflammation no more than 7 times in 3 years, you do not need to consider excision.
The second step is to rule out another situation, that is, if you are under 5 years old, try not to cut it.
The tonsils are important immune organs in childhood, and the research team of the University of Melbourne published a study in the American Medical Association journal "Otolaryngology Literature" showing that tonsil and adenoidectomy in childhood are associated with an increase in respiratory diseases, infectious diseases and allergic diseases in adulthood.
Even if surgery is really necessary, try to wait after the age of 5. As we age, the local immune function of the tonsils is gradually replaced by whole-body fluid and cellular immunity.
The second step is to follow the theory of Western medicine. In other words, no tonsillectomy should be done within the age of 5 years. If the child is under 5 years old, you can wait until the age of 5 to worry about it.
Now comes the third step. If it is neither the case of the first step nor the case of the second step, do you have to cut it?
Be merciful!If you don't cut the tonsils, it can't be big, do you have to cut it?For example, if you take Chinese medicine, your tonsils will become smaller, and your child's body will get better at the same timeFor more details, please listen to the next breakdown.