Tonsils and Adenoids

Getting your tonsils and adenoids removed (tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies) are very common procedures to have done in childhood.

Tonsils are the two lumps of tissue located at the back of your mouth on either side of your throat. Adenoids are a similar lump of tissue located behind the nose, above the soft palate. Both of these help fight infection by trapping germs, but your body is still able to do this without them. As children grow, these can shrink and almost disappear by the time you’re a teenager, but sometimes they can become swollen and infected frequently and need to be removed. I’ve attached a photo below from a guide created by McMaster Children’s Hospital.

Tonsils and adenoids are removed under anaesthesia, meaning you’re given sleep medicine that makes sure you don’t hear, feel, or see anything during the procedure. Your throat can feel very sore once you wake up, but this is normal! So is seeing a bit of blood in your saliva. Thick white patches, or scabs, will form where they were removed and this is also normal (they eventually fall off on their own). Recovery can take 10-14 days in total. It’s very important to drink a lot of fluids during this time, even if you don’t feel like it.