Tonsil and Adenoid Care

Tonsil and adenoid care covers the assessment and treatment of problems arising from these two patches of immune tissue at the back of the throat and nose. It is mostly, though not only, a children's service and is run by ENT specialists working with paediatricians and anaesthetists.

Most sore throats and most enlarged tonsils need no operation. The purpose of a specialist review is to decide, against accepted criteria, who will gain from surgery and who is better off with watchful waiting or medical treatment.

Conditions this service looks after

• Recurrent tonsillitis
• Obstructive sleep apnoea and heavy snoring in children from large tonsils and adenoids
• Enlarged adenoids with constant mouth breathing and a blocked nose
• Glue ear and repeated ear infections linked to the adenoids
• Peritonsillar abscess (quinsy)
• Tonsil stones and persistent bad breath
• One tonsil clearly larger than the other, or an ulcer on a tonsil, in adults
• Periodic fever syndrome (PFAPA) in children

Tests you may be offered

• Throat and neck examination: Grades tonsil size and checks neck glands.
• Flexible nasal endoscopy: A thin camera shows the adenoids and the back of the nose in a minute or two.
• Sleep study or overnight oximetry: Measures breathing pauses and oxygen dips when the sleep history is unclear or the child is very young.
• Throat swab and blood tests: Used selectively, for example for streptococcus or glandular fever.
• Hearing test and tympanometry: When adenoid problems come with suspected glue ear.
• Biopsy: For an asymmetric or suspicious tonsil in an adult.

Treatments available

• Watchful waiting: Many children outgrow frequent infections and large adenoids within a year or two.
• Medical treatment: Pain relief and fluids, antibiotics when bacterial infection is likely, and steroid nasal sprays for adenoid enlargement.
• Tonsillectomy: For frequent, documented, disabling tonsillitis or sleep apnoea.
• Intracapsular tonsillotomy: Partial removal, mainly for children with obstruction, with less pain and bleeding.
• Adenoidectomy: For nasal obstruction or recurrent glue ear, alone or with tonsil surgery.
• Ventilation tubes: Added when persistent middle ear fluid affects hearing.
• Abscess drainage: Needle or incision drainage of quinsy, as an urgent local procedure.

When to ask for a specialist opinion

• Seven or more significant throat infections in a year, five a year for two years, or three a year for three years
• A child who snores most nights with pauses, gasping, restless sleep or daytime tiredness and behaviour change
• A blocked nose and mouth breathing lasting months
• An adult with one enlarged tonsil, a tonsil ulcer or a persistent neck lump, which needs prompt assessment
• A second quinsy

Travelling to Türkiye for this care

A consultation with endoscopy, a hearing test and, if needed, a sleep study can be completed in a few days and will give you a clear recommendation. If surgery is advised, stay in the city for 10 to 14 days after a tonsillectomy, since bleeding can occur in the second week. Acute tonsillitis and quinsy are emergencies to treat where you are. For very young children or those with other medical conditions, surgery close to home is usually the wiser choice.

Send your reports, scans and a short history and a Clinic-Y coordinator replies within 24 hours with suitable teams and written, all-inclusive proposals side by side. Reviewing your case is free.

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