Big tonsils and obstructive sleep apnea in a five-year-old

Q: My daughter is 5 years old and her tonsils are very large. She has a hard time breathing and snores a lot. I have been very concerned. I took her to an ENT specialist and he recommended to remove her tonsils. I have been very reluctant to have the surgery. Since I gathered lot of information from your site regarding tonsillectomy, I am thinking to remove her tonsils.

tonsil stones?

Q: I hope this doesn’t sound too gross, but both my sister and I get white particles in the pockets of our tonsils. She thinks it is food buildup but I think it is the bacteria that the tonsils build up. The stuff is like cauliflower, kind of hard and with a foul odor. She thinks she needs to have her tonsils out. Can you advise us on this? We both have it regularly, but our throats are not really sore.

journal club: tonsillectomy

Extracts from The Cochrane Library: Tonsillectomy for chronic/recurrent acute tonsillitis

Martin J. Burton, DM, FRCS, Glenn Isaaccson, MD, and Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (2009) 140, 15-18

Adult tonsillectomy: Current indications and outcomes

Elizabeth K. Hoddeson, MD, and Christine G. Gourin, MD. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (2009) 140, 15-18