What to do if your child has swollen tonsils

Swollen tonsils are a very common disease. Children are prone to swollen tonsils. Because children are in the stage of physical development, their body resistance and immunity are relatively low, and their ability to fight against germs is also reduced. Therefore, it is easy to be spread to cause bacterial infection, causing tonsillitis and swelling. So what should we do?

Causes

Pathogens are transmitted through droplets, direct contact, etc., and usually hide in the tonsil pits. When the human body's resistance is weakened due to fatigue, cold or other reasons, the pathogens multiply rapidly and cause illness. The inflammation starts in the tonsils and then spreads throughout the tonsils. In acute inflammation, the tonsil parenchyma is congested and infiltrated with polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and yellow-white spots can be seen on the mucosal surface. The tonsils are obviously swollen and many small abscesses may form. The purulent exudate composed of cellulose, desquamated epithelium and pus cells in the pits is discharged to the pit openings, so pus spots can be seen at the pit openings of the tonsil. The pathological changes of chronic inflammation are obvious, with active proliferation of lymphocytes and reticular cells and hypertrophy of tonsils. The mucosal epithelium of the pits is thickened, the surface is hyperkeratotic, or small ulcers form. Keratin, inflammatory exudate, desquamated epithelial cells, leukocytes, bacteria, etc. mix to form a cheesy plug that blocks the opening of the pit. Long-term inflammation can cause occlusion of small blood vessels in the tonsils and degeneration of lymphatic tissue, which is gradually replaced by connective tissue. After that, the tonsils will gradually shrink and finally lead to tonsil fibrosis. The opening of the pit is narrowed due to scarring, and its contents are difficult to expel, often becoming a lesion.

Clinical manifestations

(1) Ear symptoms:

Due to the hypertrophy of tonsils and the accumulation of inflammatory secretions in the nasopharynx, the pharyngeal opening of the Eustachian tube is blocked, which may lead to non-suppurative or suppurative otitis media, resulting in hearing loss, tinnitus and stuffy ears.

(ii) Nasal symptoms:

Enlarged tonsils are often complicated by rhinitis and sinusitis. The children have symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, mouth breathing, drooling, occlusive nasal sounds when speaking, and snoring during sleep.

(III) Symptoms of respiratory tract infection:

Since the secretions irritate the respiratory mucosa, they often cause inflammation of the throat, trachea and bronchitis, so patients may experience symptoms such as throat discomfort, voice changes, coughing and spitting, asthma, low fever, etc.

(iv) “Adenoid facies”:

Due to long-term mouth breathing, the development of facial bones is affected, the maxilla is long and narrow, and the hard palate is high and narrow. Protruding teeth, irregular dentition, poor bite, drooping mandible, thick lips, upturned upper lip, hanging lower lip, drooping outer canthus, and shallow nasolabial groove. If there is mental depression and dull and stupid facial expressions, it becomes the so-called "adenoid facies".

examine

Local inspection

1. Oral cavity, oropharynx, nasopharynx, hypopharynx and laryngopharynx:

Focus on the anterior pharyngeal pillars, oral mucosa, retromolar trigone, soft palate and uvula. Use an indirect nasopharyngeal endoscope, laryngoscope or fiberoptic laryngoscope to observe the nasopharynx, hypopharynx and laryngopharynx to determine the extent of swelling and its relationship to surrounding structures.

2. Upper neck and submandibular area:

Pay attention to the location, number, size, hardness, mobility, etc. of the lymph nodes.

Imaging tests

Observing the local location, size, range of the swelling and the degree of infiltration of surrounding structures, and observing the cervical lymph nodes are helpful in determining the diagnosis, clarifying the clinical stage and judging the prognosis, and can help formulate treatment plans.

treat

General treatment

Drug treatment: Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drug treatment. The disadvantage of this local treatment method is that it only reduces inflammation but cannot eliminate the bacteria in the tonsillar crypts. Once the body's resistance is reduced, it is very easy to relapse, and chronic lesions will form over time.

Surgery

Indications for tonsillectomy include: upper airway obstruction caused by enlarged tonsils, resulting in severe snoring, difficulty swallowing, unclear pronunciation, etc.; one or more tonsil abscesses; tonsils causing systemic diseases and becoming focal tonsils.

Prognosis

The prognosis is good.

prevention

1. Pay attention to rest, drink plenty of water, have a bowel movement, eat liquid or soft food, and pay attention to early infusion treatment when throat pain is obvious to prevent the spread of infection.

2. Patients with enlarged tonsils should be given a liquid diet, eat less irritating food, eat more light food, and rinse their mouths after each meal.

3. Pay attention to oral hygiene and drink more boiled water or fruit juice to replenish water in the body.

4. Patients with chronic tonsillitis should develop good living habits, ensure adequate sleep time, add or remove clothes in time according to weather changes, and remove humid air indoors. These are all important. Patients should develop good habits of not being picky about food and not overeating.

5. Keep exercising to improve the body's ability to resist disease. Do not overwork. If you feel tired, you should adjust and rest in time. Quitting smoking and drinking is an important step in preventing chronic tonsillitis.

6. Prevent all kinds of infectious diseases and epidemics, eat liquid or semi-liquid food, and use alcohol baths for those with high fever to help reduce the temperature.

7. Pay attention to strengthening dietary nutrition, improving physical fitness and enhancing body resistance.

diet

1. Fresh pomegranate juice: Peel two fresh pomegranates, remove the flesh (including the seeds), mash them, pour boiling water over them, filter out the juice and remove the residue. After cooling, gargle with your mouth and swallow slowly.

2. Take equal amounts of white radish and fresh olives, cut them into slices and boil them in water to drink as tea.

3. Wash and dry some Amaranth, grind it into fine powder, use a small amount each time, and blow it directly into the affected area.