Just Curious -Anyone's Child Have HUGE Tonsils?

Updated on June 17, 2011
J.B. asks from Atlanta, GA
19 answers

My oldest son turned 5 in March, and his whole little life he has had the most enormous tonsils I've ever seen! No problems or worries from his doctor, but I'm interested to know if anyone else has
a child with gigantism of the tonsils ;-) I mean -they almost touch in the middle!

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So What Happened?

Nikki -is it just because they're huge or are they causing problems? I literally gasp whenever I look at my son's!

Scarlett -mine snores like a champ! He can beat his father -and that's saying a lot! Despite being a champion snorer, he's always been a great sleeper and is rested in the morning. He doesn't get sore throats often or infections and has only had one ear infection in his life, so we seem to be lucky on that front. I'll be interested to see if they stay big or decrease as he ages. Thanks for your input!

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A.H.

answers from Seattle on

I have huge tonsils. Every doctor for my whole life says "wow...you have huge tonsils" :) Anyway, I still have them and haven't really had problems with them. I never had strep throat until i was an adult and started teaching elementary school...they don't bother me! :)

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M.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

haha...yes my son does. He thought he was going to enter them into the Guiness Book until his doc informed him he has seen many even bigger!

3 moms found this helpful

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C.J.

answers from Lancaster on

All six of mine have enormous tonsils. They almost touch in the middle. I've always been told that they're doing what they're supposed to do; catching germs so they can't get sick!

None of them have had them removed. Their father has gigantic tonsils, as well, and still has his.

2 moms found this helpful

S.J.

answers from St. Louis on

My son has this too! I swear it is why he snores already.

1 mom found this helpful

V.E.

answers from Denver on

My son had huge tonsils, almost touching too. he would gag on food and he snored so loud! When he would get sick, they would touch and he would have a hard time breathing. We had tonsils and adenoids removed, and not a snore since. He also hasnt gotten sick either :) If he seems to have a problems with them, make sure to let the dr know, but otherwise they just might run large.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.W.

answers from San Francisco on

My son had very large tonsils..almost meeting in the middle. It was causing issues with breathing while in deep REM sleep so out they came when he was 2. What happened was he was getting less air during the deep sleep and it would jar his body and he would wake up. ONce they came out we had no more issues.

My daughter has large tonsils but we haven't noticed any problems...except for occasionally gagging on food when things back up in her mouth...so we tell her to chew very well before trying to swallow.

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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

My daughter did. We saw an ENT and had them removed only because she was experiencing sleep apnea due to them They also almost touched and she ate like a bird so figured it was due to that as well. She hardly slept though due to the apnea and boy the behaviour issues due to lack of rest. She still sometimes snores but sleeps much better. The ENT said they could be left alone and she could grow into them but with the underlying issues, got them out. She also never had any infections or problems other than the sleep apnea.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.R.

answers from Phoenix on

Are your son's tonsils always this large in size? Even when not sick? Or is he recovering from a virus?

I receive the 'my you have large tonsils' from both doctors and dentists my whole life and still have them at 50.

My sister had the large, yet sick ones from teaching elementary school, so she had them removed. But she still suffers from sore throats and sinus infections, etc. So that surgery does not seem to have had the desired results.

My kids have normal tonsil size, but have lots of ear wax. Just saying...it's gonna be something.

1 mom found this helpful

N.G.

answers from Dallas on

Mine has ginormous tonsils- I mean, HUGE. And yes, we have had her evaluated by an ENT who urges us to get them out ASAP, which we will. Probably some time in August.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.F.

answers from Seattle on

Yes - 2/3 of my kids have big tonsils. My daugher had hers removed when she was 3 (along w/adenoids) because she was snoring like a trucker and always woke up looking tired! Snoring stopped immediately after they were removed. My son has huge tonsils that are on the radar but not yet causing enough trouble to warrant removal - just a wait & see at this point - he's already 5 and no snoring, etc.. like with the oldest. The youngest seems to be ok so far & doesn't have the huge tonsils!

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L.D.

answers from Atlanta on

My daughter has huge tonsil and adenoids. She had her 1st sinus infection and 1st antibiotic this past December. She was not quite right since then. We took her to her primary care Dr. who recommended an ENT. Floniase, antibiotic and steroids were given. She has improved by 75% but I don't think the floniase did a thing. We are doing a special diet (no wheat(gluten), dairy or refined sugar) to see if her body can fix itself or if she has food sensitivities. I wish I could keep her eating this way for 3 months but we are going for one month. She has always snored mildly at night. I have heard tonsils will shrink. I am hoping to not have hers out but she has the allergy black eyes as well. Lack of good sleep is very dangerous.
My husband had the same issue and his tonsils were taken out at age 4. He was diagnosed with sleep apnea a couple of years ago and was told he had it his entire life and did not know. Most people who have sleep apnea go undiagnosed and are sleep deprived. This is often the case with children. I told all of this to my ENT. We are not through any alternative treatments and will try and save her tonsils but they will come out if they need to. Her quality of life depends on adequate quality sleep that she is not really fully getting. I plan to follow up with the sleep apnea thing to make sure she doesn't have it or if she does that we get her what she needs to sleep well at night.

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J.

answers from Spartanburg on

both my 5 year old and 3 year old have huge tonsils. I have resisted an ENT referral for a tonsillectomy for my daughter so we are waiting and watching. she has had strep several times and sleeps with her head all the way back like she is trying to create an airway.. my 3 year old hasn't had any problems. hopefully both of them will grow into them. good luck!

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R.C.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter had large tonsils & adenoids (just like I did). They rated her tonsils a 3 out of 4 (4 being the largest) & since she had recurring infections, out they came when she was just a toddler.
Mine were large as well (both touched my uvulua) & were removed because of it. I remember the first time I looked at someone else's tonsils & asking them if something was wrong with them because they were so small. lol
I'm glad he's not having any problems, hopefully he never will.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

My son's were huge.
So were mine.
I can remember almost being able to chew on them.
I had mine out at 5 yrs old.
Just before my son turned 4 his tonsils ballooned to the point where they were almost touching across the back of his throat.
They caused a lot of snoring a night (he always looked tired no matter how much sleep he got - he had dark circles under his eyes), and they were causing problems with eating/drinking and swallowing.
They were becoming an obstruction.
They were not infected - he had no temperature or sniffling or any signs of a cold.
I took him to an ENT and we tried to shrink them with steroids - and for 2 weeks they shrunk a bit but as soon as we finished they blew right back up again.
We had his tonsils and adenoids out as soon as he turned 4.
He healed up quickly and he could sleep and eat SO much better once they were out - the dark circles were gone.
This was the first year he shot up 4 inches and I really think having the tonsils out helped with that a bit.
We don't regret having them out at all.

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L.B.

answers from Boston on

My children didn't, but I did. I vividly remember doctors commenting on the size of my tonsils when I was a child. But mostly they just gawked and didn't ever recommend doing anything about it. My adenoids were also enormous; so large that I was unable to breathe through my nose, which is ultimately why I was referred to an ENT - because I was a mouth breather. My ENT said that it was a miracle that I had never gotten strep or anything that would have made my tonsils swell. He said I would have been unable to breathe at all. Out they came. I was ten. Obviously, things have changed in the medical world since then, but I think I would consult an ENT if I were you.

1 mom found this helpful

T.C.

answers from Dallas on

Yes, my daughter does;-) I apparently have big ones too, but I have a bigger spacing.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.B.

answers from Redding on

My daughter has huge tonsils as well. Kind of startling, really.
I creeped me out, but she never had any problems with them. It was just normal for her.
She's 24 now and there has never been any mention of her needing them removed. She never had throat infections or ear problems. Just huge tonsils.

Best wishes.

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M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

My son has huge tonsils, too, and a sensitive gag reflex . I think it's pretty common with children. They shrink with age. My son gets those tonsil stones, and they can make his breath stink from time to time. I just get him to gargle when I can to help.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

My children do not, but I do. So much so that whenever I go to an urgent care they say, Whoooa you have a lot of inflamation going on...then I tell them, nope that is just normal for me. If it is not causing breathing/snoring issues I would say it is prob ok, although he will probably have more issues with throat ailments (just my personal experience)... I would get mine out but I am chicken :)

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