Your tonsils and adenoids are part of your lymphatic system. Your tonsils are in the back of your throat and your adenoids are higher up, behind your nose. They help protect you from infection by trapping germs coming in through your mouth and nose. Sometimes your tonsils and adenoids become infected themselves. Tonsillitis makes your tonsils sore and swollen. Enlarged adenoids can be sore, make it hard to breathe and cause ear problems.
The first treatment for infected tonsils and adenoids is antibiotics. If you have frequent infections or trouble breathing, you may need surgery. Surgery to remove the tonsils is tonsillectomy. Surgery to remove adenoids is adenoidectomy.
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Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/tonsillectomyadenoidectomy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/tonsillectomyadenoidectomyspanish/htm/index.htm
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Tonsillitis(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/tonsillitis.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/cuerpo/tonsillitis_esp.html
- Tonsillitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/tonsillitis/DS00273/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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Tonsils and Adenoids(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/tonsilsAdenoids.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/espAdenoides.cfm
- Peritonsillar Abscess(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School) - http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/9399.html
- Tonsillar Cancer(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec19/ch223/ch223e.html
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Tonsillitis(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/tonsillitis.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/tonsillitis_esp.html
- Tonsillectomy and/or Adenoidectomy (with a Bleeding Disorder)(Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota) - Links to PDF - http://xpedio02.childrenshc.org/stellent/groups/public/@Manuals/@PFS/@Surg/documents/PolicyReferenceProcedure/018766.pdf
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Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/tonsillectomyadenoidectomy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/tonsillectomyadenoidectomyspanish/htm/index.htm
- Coblation Assisted Tonsillectomy(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=85
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Adenoidectomy(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Adenoidectomy%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Adenoids(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Adenoids%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Tonsil(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Tonsil%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Tonsillitis(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Tonsillitis%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Tonsillectomy(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=tonsillectomy
- Article: Novel technique for peritonsillar abscess drainage. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18834063&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Day case adenotonsiletomy: experience of two private clinics in Nigeria. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18788256&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Effect of improved nasal airflow after adenoidectomy on nasal erectile... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18711056&tool=MedlinePlus
- Tonsils and Adenoids -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(tonsillitis[majr]+OR+tonsillectomy[majr]+OR+adenoidectomy[majr])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Find an Otolaryngologist (ENT)(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org//findanentmore.cfm
- American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery - http://www.entnet.org/
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All about Adenoids(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/adenoids.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/cuerpo/adenoids_esp.html
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Enlarged Adenoids(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/ears/adenoids.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/infecciones/adenoids_esp.html
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Having Your Tonsils Taken Out(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/tonsils_out.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/comunes/tonsils_out.html
- Tonsillectomy Procedures(American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery) - http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/tonsillectomyProcedures.cfm
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Tonsillitis(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/tonsillitis.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/cuerpo/tonsillitis_esp.html
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Enlarged Adenoids(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/common/adenoids.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/infecciones/adenoids_esp.html
- Tonsillitis(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/common/tonsillitis.html
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Tonsils and Tonsillectomies(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/common/tonsillectomy.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/infecciones/tonsillectomy_esp.html
- Mouth Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mouthdisorders.html
- Children and Teenagers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenandteenagers.html
- Ear, Nose and Throat - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/earnoseandthroat.html
- Immune System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/immunesystem.html
- Mouth and Teeth - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mouthandteeth.html