Tonsils could be detrimental, here's why you shouldn't take it lightly

Around 12 years ago, a fellow writer was hospitalised for tonsils. All of us joked how she needed to be warded for that but it turns out, this condition could actually be detrimental to the point that it could lead a person to the brink of death.

In an article by SinarPlus, Hospital Sultan Ismail Johor's ear nose and throat specialist, Dr Ezairy M Salih said the tonsils occurred may have been due to infections from either a virus or bacteria.

“If the tonsil structure on the throat area is infected, it will be dilated or swollen,” he said.

Usually, Dr Ezairy said this problem often occurs in children as they are more prone to getting infections.

“However, adults are not exempted. If it happens to a senior citizen, it might be due to other health problems that are more dangerous like cancer. “

For such cases, the treating doctor will diagnose and differentiate whether the problem is caused by a normal infection or otherwise,” said the specialist.

Dr Ezairy also added that usually, those who suffer from tonsils tend to develop a fever.

In some severe cases, tonsil inflammation may happen which will cause the patient to face difficulties swallowing any food. International health portal, WebMD through their writings stated that a patient facing such a condition will have bad breath, a raspy voice and pain in their ears.

The most obvious sign is the observation of a white or red lining within the confines of the mouth.

SURGERY PROCEDURE

What are the implications that will be faced if a person leaves their tonsils untreated? Dr Ezairy said the infection may spread to the walls surrounding the tonsil area.

At the same time, the infection may raise the risk of an abscess to the back of the tonsil (peritonsillar abscess).

“It will cause immense pain causing someone to not be able to swallow. “If that happens, a minor surgery (tonsillectomy) to remove the abscess must be done and an intravenous antibiotics medication will be given,” he said.

However according to Healthline, if someone faced tonsilitis around five to seven times per year, surgery is the best solution to stop the inflammation.

“A 2017 research shows that surgery can reduce throat infections in children.

“However, a 2018 research shows that those who face such procedure while they were young will be facing breathing problems and other infections as an adult,”Healthline quoted.

In an article by Hello Doktor, one of the complications that a patient may experience is difficulty in breathing.

That happened because there was a blockage in the respiratory tract due to the swelling of the tonsil.

“It can happen while the patient is awake or when they are asleep. Such a situation is very dangerous because the blockage may cause choking or the inability to breathe properly,” wrote Hello Doktor.

In the same development, how do we avoid this acute problem?

Dr Ezairy advised that people should always practise a healthy lifestyle and use face masks to curb infections.

“One of the things that can be done is to gargle with salt water or drink cold water to soothe the throat.

“Besides that, antibiotics and doctor’s advice can usually help a patient to recover.

“But if the tonsilitis is not because of an infection and is due to growth like cancer on the tonsil area, incentive treatment will be done by oncology specialists,” he explained.