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The dispute continues. However, there are situations when an unremoved third tonsil can cause complications, the effects of which the child will feel for the rest of his life.
Many parents are concerned about having their child’s third almond removed. Some people believe that the later it is done, the less chance it will grow back.
Third Almond
The third almond is nothing more than a pharyngeal almond. It is a group of lymphatic tissue located in the upper part of the throat, behind the so-called tongue. It cannot be seen without special instruments. It normally increases in size from 6-8 weeks after birth, grows up to the age of 8 and then gradually disappears.
– It is like an external exposure of the immune system – says otolaryngologist Dr. Michał Wątróbski. He explains that until the age of 5, all viruses, bacteria and allergens inhaled by a child encounter the third almond. This remembers the appearance of the intruder and transmits information to other elements of the immune system, which in this way learns to recognize pathogenic organisms.
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Tonsil overgrowth
Sometimes the third almond, when attacked intensely by viruses, bacteria and allergens, grows excessively. – An overgrowth of this organ can occur when a child from a very sterile environment is placed in an environment full of viruses and bacteria. Such an environment is a nursery and kindergarten, where each toddler contributes to the population of pathogenic organisms – explains Dr. Wątróbski. He also adds that it happens that children are born with an overgrown third almond.
Its excessive growth causes, on the one hand, the narrowing or closure of the openings in the back of the nose, which makes it impossible to breathe through the nose, and on the other – the sticking of the mouths of the eustachian tubes, which causes hearing problems and recurrent ear infections.
Ailments with tonsil overgrowth
A child with a blocked nose has a prolonged runny nose. He breathes through his mouth and walks with his mouth open, which makes him take the so-called gawky expression on his face. Orthodontists warn that this causes malocclusion.
In addition, a toddler with a third too large almond snores and sweats at night. In a healthy child during sleep, the air drawn in through the nose cools the midbrain, and the oversized tonsil prevents it. The overgrowth of the third almond can also cause a very dangerous apnea, during which the brain and heart become ischemic from time to time. A child may complain of headaches, learning at school is worse, and it is more difficult for him to remember the material he is learning. Recurrent ear infections with even deafness are also dangerous.
Treatment at the ENT specialist
If we suspect that our child has an oversized third tonsil, we must see an ENT specialist. The doctor, thanks to special tools with a mirror or a camera, can easily see an organ that is invisible to the naked eye.
– Pharmacological treatment to support the immune system or anti-inflammatory treatment is possible. However, if the overgrowth is large, the almond must be removed – says the ENT specialist. He explains that if the nose is obstructed, the ear inflammation recurs, and apnea occurs during sleep, such treatment is necessary.
Some doctors believe that removing an overgrown almond is pointless as it can grow back. However, ENT is developing very quickly. Some clinics remove it under the control of a camera inserted through the nose. The patient is under anesthesia. The doctor can see exactly the operating field. It only shortens the tonsil and thanks to electrocoagulation the vessels are closed, which prevents regrowth.
The entire procedure takes 15 to 20 minutes. – Three hours after waking up from anesthesia, the child goes home and plays without remembering what happened to him – says Dr. Wątróbski.
In a private clinic, such a procedure costs from 2,5 thousand. PLN up to 3,5 thousand. zloty.
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