Medical Questions » Mouth and Throat Questions » Question No. 687
| Question: | My ten year old son has recurrent tonsillitis. Should he have his tonsils removed? |
| Answer: | Possibly. An initial attack of tonsillitis, and a subsequent one, are usually treated with a short course of antibiotics. A third attack within a couple of months would normally result in a prolonged course of antibiotics. If there are more attacks beyond this, the child can be put on long-term antibiotics for many months, or have the tonsils removed. If tonsillitis develops despite the preventative antibiotics, tonsillectomy will almost certainly be required.
As a rule of thumb, five attacks of tonsillitis a year in a child should result in removal of the tonsils. If you are unsure, or in doubt, ask your GP to refer you to a specialist ear, nose and throat sutgeon for his opinion. The operation is simple, safe and effective if carried out by experienced doctors in a recognised hospital, and can make an enormous difference to a child' s genetal health.
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