Tonsils and adenoids
Despite their small size, a person’s tonsils play huge role in the life of the entire organism. Externally, they are processes of lymphatic tissue located in the oropharynx. There are four species in total, two of which are paired and two unpaired. More precisely, the processes are located in the place where the nasopharynx passes into the pharynx, the so-called pharyngeal ring is formed. External dimensions can be compared to a walnut, nothing more. It happens popular opinion, that the word tonsil comes from the external resemblance to the product, only with a difference in color. Sometimes you can hear how adults share the concept of tonsils and tonsils. This is categorically incorrect, since both concepts are identical. In today’s article we will take a detailed look at where the tonsils are located and what their role is in the human body.
Types of tonsils
Sometimes lymph nodes and tonsils are confused, calling one the other. This is really wrong; the concepts should be clearly distinguished. To understand where the tonsil is located, you need to look at a photo or poster in any medical institution. During the initial examination, the doctor uses a special endoscope device, which transmits an image to a computer monitor in real time.
There are tonsils:
Purpose of the tonsils
At the time of birth, a person is equipped with a full set of six tonsils. During puberty, starting from the age of 14, tissues gradually atrophy and decrease in size. Despite the development of technology and science in the field of medicine, knowledge about this type of particle immune system little enough. But one thing is known for sure - protecting the human body from the penetration of pathogenic bacteria through airborne droplets. Main functions:
- human shield: the inhaled air stream is constantly filtered and purified. In the presence of harmful substances and impurities, they all settle on the surface of the tonsils, which leads to frequent lesions and inflammatory processes. It often happens that adjacent organs and tissues are affected, and the treatment process is delayed and complicated;
- immune: due to the fact that lymphatic processes take an active part in the production and production of lymphocytes - important components of the immune system. Without these components, the body will not be able to fight pathogenic bacteria;
- hematopoietic: typical for newborn babies;
- producer of enzymes to improve digestive processes.
The adenoids are capable of performing the above functions in in full only when they are 100% healthy and functional. When the inflammatory syndrome begins, the entire body suffers, and complications begin that are difficult to remove and cure.
Important. If there is a slight change in the timbre of your or your child’s voice, be sure to consult a specialized doctor. As a rule, this is the first sign of the onset of an exacerbation in the body.
How useful is deletion?
It is necessary to start with the fact that a lot depends on the speed of contacting a medical institution. The more the patient delayed treatment, the more more serious consequences complications are to be expected. The initial stages, as well as the second, are treated with medication. Recently, combined options in the form of medical knowledge and folk wisdom have begun to be actively used. The combination of antibiotics and decoctions gives stunning positive effects and the fastest possible recovery effect. The third stage is very dangerous and insidious, since a disease that has transformed may not manifest itself in full force immediately, but after some time. In 27% of cases, patients felt an imaginary recovery, while the disease moved into the next aggravated stage. There are often cases when a patient, while recovering, completed treatment ahead of schedule, which only aggravated the situation, and it was necessary to use radical methods in the form of surgery. We should not forget that not every located process of lymphatic tissue is easy to remove; more precisely, the question is its accessibility for removal. It is no secret that particles remain that lead to regression of the disease.
Most of the world's surgeons have come to the consensus that it is strictly forbidden to perform removal operations on children under five years of age. Before this, use exclusively drug treatment. Inflammation of the adenoids before age 5 does not cause negative consequences for the whole organism as a whole.
The final answer to the question of deletion is definitely no. Try your best to preserve tissue, apply medical knowledge, folk remedies, various infusions and decoctions for rinsing, then everything will be fine. Don't forget to check with your doctor periodically. People sometimes cannot find a basic way out of a situation, but it is so simple. Enough to lead healthy image life, engage physical sports. All the best. See you soon.
Palatine tonsils are important integral part human immune system. They are the first barrier to microbes coming from external environment into the body. The initial study of pathogens and the production of antibodies occurs in these organs.
The role of the tonsils in the body's defense system
Discussions about the significance of the palatine tonsils have continued among scientists over the last century. Their main functions, according to currently available research data, are barrier and immunological.
- Barrier function. Toxins and bacteria, penetrating through the epithelium into the glands, are neutralized by the reticuloendothelial system. In the process of suppressing pathogens, local antibodies are produced, which contributes to the gradual immunization of the body. Barriers to infections are the mucous membranes, organ capsule, walls of lymphatic and venous vessels and internal lymph nodes.
- Immunological role. Bacteria linger in the gaps, multiply and grow there. At the same time, the antigens they produce are able to pass through epithelial cells, affect white blood cells (B- and T-lymphocytes) and lead to the production of antibodies, i.e. in fact, “produce vaccines” naturally.
The full nature of the effect of tonsils on the formation of human immunity has not yet been studied.
Features of the structure of the tonsils
The palatine tonsils are paired formations consisting of lymphoid tissue and located in the tonsillar niches between the root of the tongue and the palatine arches.
A distinctive feature of the structure of the palatine tonsils is that their internal surface, facing the pharynx, is covered with blind canals-lacunae (crypts), which penetrate the thickness of the gland and emerge on the free surface in the form of holes of various shapes with a diameter of 1 to 4 mm. There are usually from 10 to 20 such branched and winding gaps.
The inner side of the organs is covered with squamous epithelial cells, and the outer side (facing the pharynx) is covered with dense connective tissue, called a capsule or pseudocapsule. The size of the glands depends on the age of the person; in an adult, the length reaches 25-30 mm with a weight of 1.5 g. They can be free (protruding into the pharynx) or hidden in the palatine arches. Their blood supply comes from the carotid artery system, and their innervation comes from different nerves (glossopharyngeal, trigeminal, vagus).
This disease is characterized by enlargement of the glands in the absence of any inflammatory processes in them. Most often found in preschool children, as a rule, it is “paired” with adenoiditis.
It has been proven that there is a relationship between hypertrophy and frequent colds in children.
The causes of the disease are not fully understood. According to various researchers, they may be:
- unformed or defective functioning of the child’s immune system;
- chronic tonsillitis;
- regular colds that negatively affect the functioning of lymphoid tissues;
- chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract and nasopharynx (adenoiditis, sinusitis);
- chemical or thermal effects on the tonsils;
- endocrine diseases and metabolic disorders.
There are three degrees of enlargement of the tonsils depending on how much of the space between the anterior edge of the palatine arch and the midline of the pharynx they occupy:
- first degree - 1/3 of the specified space;
- second degree - 2/3;
- third degree - completely block the space, practically touching each other.
Hypertrophied organs make it difficult for the child to breathe and also prevent the normal movement of food. With severe growth of 2 or 3 degrees, especially with the addition of adenoiditis, speech suffers.
Symptoms of the disease:
- tonsils are swollen, soft in consistency, with an uneven surface, pale pink or yellowish in color;
- plugs in lacunae are rarely formed;
- with severe hypertrophy, breathing disturbances, snoring are observed, and sleep apnea may occur;
- changes in the voice, which becomes rough or nasal;
- discomfort in the nasopharynx, feeling of a foreign body there.
At small degree hypertrophy and the absence of signs of inflammation of the glands and arches of the palate, no specific treatment is carried out. Regular gargling with solutions is sufficient for prevention. baking soda or furatsilin. Using high-quality toothpaste when brushing your teeth due to the presence of anti-inflammatory substances in it also helps maintain a healthy condition in the mouth and throat.
Parents should closely monitor correct breathing child. Children compensate for difficulty in nasal breathing with oral breathing, which leads to drying out of the tonsils, their hypothermia and contamination with microbes.
This often causes the development of tonsillitis. Therefore, it is necessary to promptly eliminate the causes that prevent full nasal breathing.
With a more significant magnification, it is advisable to see an otolaryngologist. Often in such cases, the doctor, in addition to antiseptic rinses, recommends lubricating the surface of the organs with cauterizing or astringent agents, which is carried out in 2-3 week courses. The following solutions are most often used for this: collargol (3%), lapis (2%), iodine-glycerin (0.5%), tannin-glycerin (5%), hydrogen peroxide. Carotene protects and nourishes the mucous membrane well, which can be applied to the surface of the glands before bed to prevent them from drying out.
With grades 2 and 3 hypertrophy, conservative treatment may not give the desired result. Difficulty breathing and speaking, difficulty swallowing food, frequent colds with swelling of the mucous membranes require more effective measures. In such cases, surgical intervention is required.
Traffic jams in the tonsils
Plugs most often form in lacunae, but in some cases they may appear under the epithelial layer or directly in the lymphoid tissues. Plugs are rotting dead cells of the immune system, glandular tissue and food debris. The reasons for their appearance are acute and chronic tonsillitis, infections of the nasopharynx, and food getting stuck in deformed lacunae.
Manifestations of the disease:
- plugs are usually clearly visible upon inspection and look like yellowish-gray spots with a diameter of 1 to 5 mm;
- sensation of plaque and discomfort in the throat;
- unpleasant (putrid) odor from the mouth.
For bacterial causes of tonsillitis, antibiotics must be used. Local therapy consists of irrigation or rinsing with antiseptics (chlorhexidine, miramistin) and antibacterial drugs (bioparox). In an outpatient clinic, removal of plugs is carried out by rinsing with a syringe, at home - with a cotton swab or a finger wrapped in a bandage. After removing plaque, you should gargle with an antiseptic.
In case of regular occurrence of traffic jams in Lately Laser lacunotomy is increasingly being proposed, which is laser excision of individual affected crypts, after which they stop clogging due to an increase in the diameter of the hole. Moreover, unlike tonsillectomy, the organ itself continues to function fully.
Tonsillectomy: pros and cons 
Operations on the tonsils have been known to mankind for more than 3 thousand years. As a rule, they are uncomplicated, have a low risk of postoperative complications and are performed under general or local anesthesia using special instruments.
Indications for surgery:
- ineffectiveness of conservative treatment;
- tonsillitis with frequent relapses (at least 5-7 exacerbations per year);
- chronic tonsillitis in a decompensated form or with toxic effects that increase the risk of developing renal or cardiovascular complications;
- difficulty swallowing or breathing, sleep apnea syndrome;
- signs of brain hypoxia due to lack of oxygen (pallor, hyperactivity, poor sleep);
- complications with the formation of pus.
There are a number of contraindications for surgical intervention, either permanent or temporary. The permanent ones include:
- blood diseases (hemorrhagic diathesis, leukemia);
- mental illness;
- pulmonary tuberculosis;
- diabetes;
- ailments of the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart in the acute stage;
- pharynx abnormalities.
Contraindications such as infectious diseases, caries, menstruation, dermatitis, and flu are temporary. The operation is carried out after they are eliminated.
There are two main types of such operations:
- tonsillotomy (a more gentle procedure) - cutting off part of an enlarged organ using a special loop or tonsillotome. It is often performed in conjunction with the removal of overgrown adenoids (adenectomy).
- tonsillectomy - complete excision of organ tissue along with the capsule. Modern medicine offers a wide selection of instruments for intervention: scissors, wire loop, ultrasonic scalpel, high-frequency electric current, radio waves, carbon and infrared lasers.
Removing the tonsils is a serious measure, since this paired organ is an integral part of the body's local immune system.
IN postoperative period the cleaned niches are covered with a white coating, which disappears by the end of the first week; on days 10-12, the tonsillar niches are completely cleared, and three weeks after the manipulation they are covered with epithelium. Complications occur quite rarely, as a rule, these are bleeding, less often infectious and inflammatory processes.
Tonsillectomy can lead to weakened immunity in the nasopharynx, resulting in regular upper respiratory tract infections. Therefore, the decision to surgically remove the glands is made only after all possible conservative methods therapy.
- After each meal, gargle to remove stuck pieces of food with plain water or sea salt solution;
- lubricate the tonsils with the juice of aloe leaves (can be mixed with honey in a ratio of 1:3) or oils (sea buckthorn, apricot, peach) half an hour after eating;
- gargle 2-3 times a day with warm mineral water without gas, decoction of oak bark, leaves walnut or chamomile;
- Give older children a pea-sized piece of propolis to chew.
Sources: medscape.com,
Palatine tonsils or tonsils in humans are an integral part of the body. They are the first to “get acquainted” with pathogenic factors in the air or food. The further functioning of internal systems and organs depends on how fully they are developed and fulfill their protective role.
What are tonsils: a brief description
This is an accumulation of lymphoid tissue in the pharynx, which begins to form in the womb. After a person is born, they actively grow until the age of 15, after which the reverse process begins. They are localized between the oral and nasal cavities and are represented by the palatine, tubal, pharyngeal and lingual tonsils. Normally they are small and imperceptible. The circular arrangement of these formations is called the pharyngeal lymphoepithelial ring. The granules of the posterior wall of the pharynx, its lateral ridges, the laryngeal tonsils and this ring form the lymphoid apparatus of the pharynx.
Where are they located, what structure do they have, how are tonsils classified?
All peripharyngeal formations in cross-section have a porous structure, but each of them is characterized by its own characteristics. For example, the pharyngeal is divided by connective tissue into lobules and covered with ciliated epithelium, and the palatine consists of a capsule, stroma, parenchyma, epithelial cover, and also has upper and lower poles. At the top there is a supra-almond fossa, in which an additional lobule can be located. The capsule is formed by connective tissue on the lateral surface and mucous tissue on the medial surface. The septa extending from it divide the tonsil into internal lobules, and the stroma into trabeculae. On the outside there are gaps, which are the mouths of the crypts. The parenchyma is represented by mature lymphocytes and follicles. Anatomical structure tonsils are similar, but the existing features are different.
There is also such a formation near the root of the tongue.
There are 6 pairs of tonsils in the human body, which are classified into paired ones, among them palatine and tubal, and unpaired - lingual and pharyngeal. The former are located in the throat between the arches on the sides of the pharynx, and the latter are located near the opening of the Eustachian tube. The pharyngeal formation has the appearance of transverse folds and is localized on the upper-posterior wall of the pharynx. Under the epithelial membrane of the tongue, in its root part, in the midline there is a tonsil, which is called the lingual tonsil.
All types of tonsils consist of lymphoid tissue penetrated by lymphatic and blood vessels, as well as nerve fibers.
Language education
Like all others, it grows until the age of 15, after which it atrophies and divides into right and left lobes. The lumpy surface has characteristic depressions - ducts salivary glands. The secretion secreted through them moisturizes the oral mucosa and facilitates the transport of food through the mouth into the esophagus. The stream of air inhaled through the mouth is cleansed by this lymphoid formation from pathogenic factors. The white blood cells that mature here are responsible for the body's immune response to their introduction. Good blood supply provides a high potential for fighting bacteria.
Palatine tonsils
The largest paired formations of the Pirogov-Waldeyer lymphoid ring. About 20 lacunar recesses are responsible for trapping pathogens in the mouth that enter the air and food. IN childhood, as well as in adults with weakened immune systems, a large accumulation of pathogenic microflora here provokes the development of the disease. This special anatomy of the tonsils allows them to recognize microorganisms and take measures to eliminate them.
Pipe formations
When the baby is 7 months old intrauterine development, then such lymphoid formations are formed. The smallest diffuse accumulations of lymphoid tissue, which consist of a few nodes of the same structure and are located on the lateral walls of the nasopharynx. The outside is covered with a mucous membrane with ciliated epithelium. They begin to develop in the fetus in the seventh month of pregnancy and reach their peak growth by 7 years. The tubal or tubar tonsil protects the organ of hearing from external infection.
Pharyngeal lymphoid formation
In everyday life - adenoids. Several ridges of lymphoid tissue and follicles are located in the vault of the nasopharynx. On the outside they are covered with ciliated epithelium. In addition to protecting the hearing aid from infection by pathogens, they provide a person with hearing acuity. Localization between the auditory tube, on the one hand, and the pharyngeal cavity on the other, helps equalize the pressure in the tympanic cavity.
Main functions of the tonsils
- Barrier. It consists of recognizing and capturing pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms.
- Immunogenic. Here the formation of lymphocytes and antibodies occurs.
- Hematopoietic.
Tonsil diseases
Many factors can impair the function of the tonsils, leading to the development of the disease. Among them are hypothermia, viral and bacterial infections against the background of weakened immunity, exacerbation of chronic diseases and others. For any inflammatory process in the amygdala, its structure is disrupted, appearance, size and color. The appearance of specific symptoms is influenced by the type of infection and the severity of the pathological process.
The formations may enlarge at the time of infection.
The tonsils in the throat are most likely to become infected. In this case, tonsillitis, scarlet fever, hypertrophy or chronic tonsillitis may occur. Inflammation of the palatine tonsil can be unilateral or bilateral, and can also be accompanied by the formation of purulent plaque and plugs on them, and the development of intoxication. The function of the tonsils is impaired, fever, weakness, headache, submandibular lymph nodes are enlarged. A person’s tonsils hurt not only when swallowing, but also at rest. To treat this condition, antibiotics, antipyretics and painkillers are given, and it is also recommended to gargle with antiseptic solutions, for example, such as:
- "Miramistin";
- "Furacilin".
This disease is dangerous due to its complications, which can appear in 3-5 days or weeks later.
Enlargement of the pharyngeal tonsil most often occurs in preschool age. Impaired breathing and hearing, snoring, signs of hypoxia and rhinitis accompany adenoiditis. The severity of symptoms will depend on how enlarged they are. If the lingual tonsil is inflamed, the patient feels local pain when talking or eating. Diseases of the tubal tonsils in humans develop against the background of dysfunction of the tonsils in the body and damage to the adenoids.
