getting your tonsils out as an adult

Happy New Year! If you're like me, you spent your winter holidays on a soft and cold diet after getting your tonsils out. 

Chances are, you're not like me in this department, but maybe you've clicked to this page because you're thinking about getting a tonsillectomy.

Your doctor, the Internet, or friends and family may have told you that getting your tonsils out as an adult is a harder recovery than having them removed as a child. Many of us grew up with friends or siblings who had their tonsils out. It used to be routine to remove children's tonsils, however recent research revealed that children who get their tonsils removed before the age of 9 or 10 may be at increased risk of upper respiratory issues as an adult, like asthma. 

Tonsils are part of your immune system, and your immune system isn't fully developed until late adolescence or early adulthood. Researchers think that children having their tonsils removed at an early age can impact their immune system, affecting future disease risk.

However, when adults get their tonsils removed (typically for chronic sore throats, less so for sleeping issues), research shows that the benefit of reduced sick days and better quality of life means the 2 weeks of recovery is worth the pain.

Read on to learn about my experience getting my tonsils removed at age 28, on grad school holiday break.

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