
In the United States, about half a million surgeries are performed each year to remove tonsils in children. The reasons for this are usually recurrent ear infections, tonsillitis, breathing difficulties, and the need for orthodontic treatment. Not infrequently, along with the removal of tonsils, the removal of adenoids is also carried out.
There have always been pediatricians who have a negative attitude toward the hasty removal of tonsils and adenoids. This is understandable, because the tonsils and adenoids are organs of the immune system and are represented by lymphoid tissue. They act as a primary barrier, recognizing viruses and bacteria when they enter the oral and nasal cavities. This information is then passed on to the thymus and other organs of the immune system to activate the immune defense. Lymphoid tissue increases, like muscles, when it has to work hard. Children are starting daycare and schools, where they often encounter infections they have not encountered before and the child's entire immune system has to work hard. This training of the immune system as a child comes in handy for the body to fight infections as an adult.
Studies have shown that children who had their tonsils and adenoids removed in childhood are much more likely to have asthma, ear infections, viral and bacterial upper respiratory infections in adulthood. We should also not forget that the surgery contains possible complications and risks.
Of course, there are cases in which surgery cannot be avoided for one reason or another. But unfortunately, these operations are not uncommon when the appropriateness of such an intervention is highly questionable. Be sure to discuss in detail with your doctor the reasonability for removing the tonsils and adenoids in your child.
In holistic medicine, there are many approaches to optimize the body's defense systems and prevent complications associated with the pathological enlargement of the tonsils and adenoids. Of course, these approaches do not work overnight like surgery. But they help to preserve essential organs of the child's immune system and ensure better health in adulthood.
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