kissing tonsils(enlarged tonsils)red,with little snoring (child 3 and a half year old)

By RANDA GERGES Wednesday, June 13, 2007

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I Would Be Very Greatfull If You Could Answer My Question.

My Child Is 3 And A Half Year Old. In April 2007 He Got Sick For Ten Days. It Was Viral. No Antibiotics Were Given To Him. He Could Not Eat Only Drink. After His Sickness Everything Returned To Normal. He Is Eating Very Well No Fever Now, Nothing At All A Very Normal Child But When We Looked At His Throat We Saw That His Tonsils Are A Little Red And Enlarged, Almost Kissing Tonsils. This Is What His Doctor Said. When He Sleeps, Sometimes It Seems He Is Breathing From His Mouth Or Snoring. This Is Only What I Am Seeing Unusual With Him. Nothing Else At All.

The Problem Is With Me, Because I Am Too Much Worried When I Think That He Could Need A Surgery. I Think Of Him All The Day. I Am Unhappy With My Life Because I Am Worried A Lot.

Could You Please Help Me And Tell Me If It Is Possible For Kissing Tonsils Or Almost Kissing Tonsils To Remain Like This For Years Without Making Any Problem And Without Being Removed, And After They Shrink And Return To Normal Size?

When Should I Worry?

I Would Really Appreciate Your Answering Me The Soonest Possible.

Comments (12) | Add comment

Maria, Editor

6/15/07 10:13am

Thank you for your SharePost. Your concern about your son is common.

I suggest you visit the links below for more in-depth information on enlarged tonsils in children in relation to snoring and possibly sleep apnea:

TonsilFacts.com

http://www.tonsilfacts.com/

Child's Sleep Disorders Affect Parents, Too

http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/news-32509-66.html

You can also submit your question to Sleep Disorder Specialist Dr. Allen Blaivas: http://www.healthcentral.com/sleep-disorders/c/68/profiles/, who can address your concerns directly. Good luck.

Heidi

6/30/07 12:52am

My daughter had kissing tonsils, snored loudly and tossed and turned all night, could not chew food with her mouth closed because she could not breathe and had strep throat 4/5 times last year. We ended up getting her tonsils and adnoids removed. The doctor said that she had complete blockage with her adnoids. They said it would be a 2-week recovery...for her it was a 1-day recovery!!! She now sleeps quietly, like a baby all nights. Chews quietly with her mouth closed. This was obviously causing her to have sleep apnea. It does not sound as your child is this severe; however, if he does need surgery, please know that for my child it was a complete blessing!!! and miracle!!! I would definately talk to your doctor and find out if surgery is right for your son or not.

RANDA GERGES

6/30/07 1:53am

HI HEIDI AND THANKS A LOT FOR ANSWERING ME. MY SON NOW IS MUCH BETTER. ONLY A LITTLE SNORING AT NIGHT. THAT'S IT. THE DOCTOR SAID THAT HE COULD STAY LIKE THIS FOR A LONG TIME WITHOUT NEEDING SURGERY. IF HE WAKES UP AT NIGHT AND SEEMS TO STOP BREATHING OR HAVE TONSILITTIS 4 OR 5 TIMES A YEAR OR COULD NOT EAT OR HAS PAIN IN HIS EARS THAN WE CAN GO FOR SURGERY. FOR NOW WE CAN WAIT LIKE THIS. SO I HOPE HE WILL STAY STABLE AND DOES NOT GET WORSE. BUT THANKS A LOT FOR REPLYING. I MEAN I AM NOW RELAXED BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SURGERY IS NOT THAT DIFFICULT AND IT COULD BE BETTER IN SOME SEVERE CASES LIKE YOURS. I HOPE SHE WILL STAY FINE FOREVER AND WITHOUT KNOWING YOU I HOPE THE BEST FOR YOU BECAUSE WHEN SOMEONE REPLIES TO A MESSAGE HE IS HELPING OTHERS. SOMETIME YOU NEED TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE.THANKS GOD I HAD SOMEONE TO TALK WITH.BY THE WAY HOW OLD IS YOUR DAUGHTER.

RANDA

Heidi

6/30/07 10:54am

Hi Randa,
I am so glad to hear that your son is doing much better and it not in need of any surgery! You can rest easy now!
My daughter is now 5; however, she had the surgery last summer when she was 4. She is doing great!! She has had two cases of strep this year, but since her tonsils are gone it is not severe at all...I guess some of us are just more likely to get strep. She is definately not stopping breathing at night anymore!
My God conintue to bless your son and family!

RANDA GERGES

7/ 2/07 12:54am

thanks again heidi and god bless you and your family.

if you need anything, anytime, you can send an email, i will be here to help as much as i can. be sure of it.

my email randagerges@hotmail.com

by the way, i am happy for your daughter.

randa

DEBBIE TYNDALL

3/24/08 10:35am

I am glad your daUGHTER IS DOING WELL, MY DAUGHTER ,WHO IS 4 IS HAVING THIS SURGERY ON APRIL 14TH 2008, AND I HAVE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT IT BUT AFTER READING YOUR BLOG, I FEEL A BIT MORE RELAXED ABOUT IT, I HOPE SHE HAS THE SAMEW LUCK AS YOUR DAUGHTER

karen

6/ 8/08 8:48pm

i took my son into the doctors and they said he had tonsilitis and gave him antibiotic. it didnt work so they gave him a different one for strep throat. since then one tonsile had went down. but now both are very large again. they block the whole back of his mouth. the doctor says that it is fine unless he is sleeping a lot and snoring. but he is sleeping at least 12 hours a day. he says his thoat dont hurt or anything. he doesnt get infections of any kind. he is always healthy. i worry about it cause i am afraid that with them being so big he is going to stop breathing when i am sleeping.

Anonymous

4/ 4/09 2:35pm

I am a dental professional and I see these kids and their touching tonsils all the time. It aggravates the heck out of me as I have read much on this subject and this is my opinion, but strongly held, that these kids need intervention.

There is evidence that these children struggle in school because of fatigue and drowsiness due to a clear lack of deep restorative sleep based on the snoring and inability to breathe properly.

I have also conversed with speech therapists who tell me these tonsils affect a child's speech patterns and I see they often have a thrust forward look to their profile as they are trying to open their airways by repositioning their jaws.

It can lead to orthodontic problems as the child tries to adapt his jaw to the need to breathe. There is often a strong gag reflex involved making it hard to swallow.

In my own family removed tonsils always lead to the child gaining weight, losing the dark circles under their eyes. I feel there is a failure to thrive component to these oversized and infection gathering tonsils.

Years ago the tonsils would be removed all at once in big families. That was probably not appropriate either, but I do not understand the stubbornness of the ENT community to allow children to suffer with these huge blockages in the back of their throats.

Ivette Urbina

5/14/09 4:49pm

I guess I'm one of those parents... My daughter has had enlarged tonsils and adenoids since she was 2. However, it has never decreased her apetite nor her ability to speak clearly. She does snore and always has. She does have a hard time waking up in the morning and I wonder if it is due to lack of restful sleep...but I also have a hard time waking up in the morning and I don't have any problems with my tonsils and adenoids...I'm just a sleepy head, so that may be her case too.

My husband took her to an ENT doctor today because she has fluid in her ears. The doctor recommended that my daughter have the tubes put in her ears and have both her adenoids and tonsils removed! I feel like I am being stubborn because I told my husband that I am strongly against all of the recommendations the doctor made. I found another alternative for the fluid in the ears...the earpopper. I have to do more research and just think and pray about it. I just believe God gave us all of our body parts and organs for a reason. I understand that we may not necessarily need our tonsils and adenoids for the digestion of the foods we eat now and days.

Thanks for all your posts...I did find much of it helpful.

God bless all.

Ivette

APPs mom

6/ 4/09 10:39am

I'm enjoying these posts. I just got back from the ENT this morning and because my 3 1/2 year old has grade 4+ tonsils, she's an excellent candidate for surgery, and her sleep/ breathing issues will most likely be remedied by this quick surgery.

Fingers crossed.

Jennifer

7/24/09 10:58am

Just went to ENT yesterday. My daughter is 3 1/2 and is going to have her tonsils, & adnoids removed and new tubes placed in her ears. She snores but the main problem is that she will spit food out and say "too much". The tonsils are so large it makes it hard for her to swallow. She doesn't have a sore throat but has been on 6 antibiotics in the last 6 months for her ears. The ENT said these were the largest tonsils he has seen in a while. My son is 5 now and had his tonsils out when he was 3....it was the best thing for him. He has not been sick since. He recovered so quick. The day of the surgery you wouldn't have know that anything was wrong.

sunnyd8203

10/19/11 4:34am

Try chiropractic for ear prblems not related to tonsils, and boost immune system thus helping tonsils. good luck. my son is 3.5 and has had swollen sometimes kissing tonsils for the last few months, tho it doesnt seem to bother him, he sleeps well, doesnt really snore, but has to breath out of his mouth. on the net trying to figure out what my alternatives to the dreaded tonsilectomy are. im on your side with it.

kissing tonsils(enlarged tonsils)red,with little snoring (child 3 and a half year old)

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