Tonsil Disease Can Impact Quality of Child's Life

Some children never have tonsil problems. Others have minor tonsil problems. But children with chronic infections fight an ongoing battle with sleep disruptions, loss of appetite, poor concentration and overall health.

"Children with tonsil and adenoid disease suffer more than previously believed," says Dr. Michael G. Stewart, an associate professor of otolaryngology and assistant dean of clinical affairs at Baylor College of Medicine. "Most of the literature is based on objective measures of the disease, such as number of infections, but it is likely that the impact of a chronic infection has been underestimated."

In a recent study published in the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Stewart surveyed parents of 154 children between the ages of 2 and 16. Answering for their children, parents filled out a detailed questionnaire that covered 12 areas including bodily pain, physical functioning, self-esteem, parental emotional impact and family cohesion. Dr. Stewart and his colleagues found the impact of tonsil and adenoid disease on overall health to be quite significant and that many children suffer a reduced quality of life.

"The survey showed that children with tonsil and adenoid disease scored significantly lower than healthy children. The impact appears to be as severe as conditions considered more serious such as asthma and arthritis," Dr. Stewart says.

The data revealed that the mean scores for children with tonsil and adenoid disease were especially low in areas related to emotional impact, behavior and parental impact.

Tonsils, which have no known function, are two groups of fleshy tissue on either side of the throat. Tonsillitis occurs when the tonsils become inflamed. Symptoms include throat pain, difficulty swallowing and fever. Lymph glands in the neck tend to swell and become tender. In some cases, children can suffer from a headache or a middle ear or sinus infection.

Adenoids are lymph tissues found at the back of the nasal passage above the tonsils. Abnormally enlarged adenoids can cause nasal obstruction, postnasal drainage or sinus infections.

Currently, there is an ongoing debate on whether to treat tonsil and adenoid disease medically or surgically. Controversy exists over the guidelines that determine the need for surgery.

"Tonsil and adenoid disease can be more than a childhood inconvenience that will go away in time. Quality of life issues need to be considered when planning the child's treatment," Dr. Stewart says.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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