On this page
Learn More
See, Play and Learn
- No links available
Research
Resources
For You
Summary
Your tonsils and adenoids are part of your lymphatic system. Your tonsils are in the back of your throat. Your adenoids are higher up, behind your nose. Both help protect you from infection by trapping germs coming in through your mouth and nose.
Sometimes your tonsils and adenoids become infected. Tonsillitis makes your tonsils sore and swollen and causes a sore throat. 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.
Latest News
- Should More Kids Have Their Tonsils Out? (01/17/2017, HealthDay)
Diagnosis and Tests
- X-Ray Exam: Neck (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- Adenoid removal - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Tonsillectomy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Tonsillectomy - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Tonsillectomy and Adenoids PostOp (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
Related Issues
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Pediatric Obesity and Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
- Recurring Strep Throat: When Is Tonsillectomy Useful? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Tonsils and Adenoids PostOp (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
Specifics
- Enlarged Adenoids (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Tonsillitis (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Tonsillitis (Nemours Foundation)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Tonsil Disorders
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Tonsillitis (National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Adenoid Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Adenoidectomy (National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Tonsillectomy (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery
- Find an ENT (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
Children
- All about Adenoids (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Enlarged Adenoids (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Having Your Tonsils Taken Out (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Post-Surgery Codeine Puts Kids at Risk (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
- Tonsillitis (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Tonsils and Tonsillectomies (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Peritonsillar Abscess (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Tonsillitis (Nemours Foundation)
- Tonsils and Tonsillectomies (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Adenoid removal (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Enlarged adenoids (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Peritonsillar abscess (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Tonsil and adenoid removal - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Tonsillectomy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Tonsillitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
