It is possible for tonsils to partially grow back. During a tonsillectomy, most of the tonsils are removed. However, some tissue often remains, so tonsils occasionally can regenerate (regrow) — although they probably won't grow back completely or to their original size.
The tonsillar tissue remaining after partial tonsillectomy in children has a remarkable tendency to grow back, related to a diet abundant in sugar and numerous upper respiratory tract infections. Tonsillar regrowth was age related and occurred most frequently in individuals older than 7 years.
They often wonder if they can still get tonsillitis. The simple answer is NO! If you do not have tonsils, it is not possible to contract tonsillitis. Nevertheless, you will experience the tonsillitis symptoms as the infection affects the area where the actual tonsils should be.
The purpose of tonsils
However, you can live without your tonsils, and removing them usually has no adverse effects. Your tonsils are most active when you're young, but they stop growing when you're between the ages of 3 and 7. After this time, tonsils shrink and may even disappear completely.
Generally, after a tonsillectomy, there aren't negative impacts to life. The immune system will function just fine without the tonsils. Your child may see fewer episodes of strep throat, although it may still happen. Your child may have better sleep and less snoring.
Change in voice is a concern which many patients and parents have when surgical details of tonsillectomy are being explained. Hypertrophied tonsils are assumed to obstruct transmission of sound into the oral and nasal cavities, thus altering the resonance of the voice [3].
Surgery to completely remove the tonsils (total tonsillectomy) can help to reduce the number of throat infections. Once the palatine tonsils have been removed, they can no longer become infected – but other areas of tissue in the throat can still become infected.
Adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy were associated with a 2- to 3-fold increase in diseases of the upper respiratory tract, and adenoidectomy doubled the risk of COPD and conjunctivitis. Adenotonsillectomy was associated with a 17 percent increased risk of infectious diseases.
The tonsils are part of the body's immune system. Because of their location at the throat and palate, they can stop germs entering the body through the mouth or the nose. The tonsils also contain a lot of white blood cells, which are responsible for killing germs.
The reality is that tonsils and adenoids growing back is a very minor occurrence and does not happen very often. If it does happen to you it is best to meet with a professional surgeon that has the ability to determine if surgery is needed. Many times the tissue is fine to stay and will not cause any future problems.
Why? Dr. DeMarino says that, “There are fewer tonsillectomies due to skepticism in the medical community over its usefulness in infection control and more stringent guidelines.”
“Tonsilitis can be a major contributor of bad breath because it inflames the mucous membranes of the tonsils, making them cause a foul odor. Also, the bits of food and plaque stuck in the tonsils may cause foul odor as they decompose.”
Visible tonsil stones may look like a whitish lump on your tonsil. Some tonsil stones don't cause any symptoms. If you have symptoms, they may include: Bad breath — Tonsil stones can have a foul odor, making severe bad breath one of the main symptoms.
Most sore throats are caused by viruses or bacteria, which often come with other signs of infection, such as a fever. Even so, there are other causes of a sore throat that may not present with a fever, including allergies, acid reflux, colds, STIs, environmental pollutants, or even cancer.
Tonsillitis is inflammation (swelling) of the tonsils. Other causes of sore throats include viruses, which may cause inflammation only of the throat around the tonsils and not of the tonsils themselves.
According to the results of this study, tonsillectomy not only does not reduce the function of the immune system, but also can improve the immune response.
For someone whose voice is his or her livelihood and is affected by these symptoms repeatedly, you should know that removing tonsils actually makes you LESS SUSCEPTIBLE to throat infections. It doesn't guarantee you won't have ANY throat problems, but significantly reduces the risk.
Throat pain builds up for the first few days and is usually at its the worst around the fifth day after surgery. Pain and discomfort will usually then ease until the seventh or ninth day after surgery when some of the scab covering the tonsillectomy site falls off. After this there is a steady reduction in pain.
A tonsillectomy without insurance ranges from $1,500 to $4,000. These costs depend on the type of tonsillectomy and are influenced by your geographic location. You will need to go through a consultation with a doctor who will diagnose you and recommend a tonsillectomy.
If your tonsils or adenoids in the back of your oral cavity are swollen, this can lead to gagging as there is more contact between them and food, drink, or saliva that can trigger the gag reflex.
An increased risk of autoimmune conditions such as thyroid disease, rheumatic diseases, inflammatory bowel disease and type 1 diabetes was observed in 179,875 Swedish tonsillectomy patients.