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Posted by on Oct 11, 2015 in TellMeWhy |

Why Do We Have Tonsils?

Why Do We Have Tonsils?

Why Do We Have Tonsils? Tonsils are lymphatic tissues on either side of the back of the human throat that help fight infections. The purpose of these lymphatic tissues is to defend the body against bacteria and viruses.

Tonsils may swell when they become infected (tonsillitis). If you look down your child’s throat with a flashlight, they may be red and swollen or have a white or yellow coating on them.

In days gone by, these earkeckers, if they became infected or swollen, were frequently removed by the medical profession, but today doctors try to save them with doses of antibiotics instead.

It was once considered quite the thing to send children home from the hospital with those removed objects floating in special fluid in a jar, so they could display them proudly to their friends.

Tonsils are at their largest during the teenage years, but after that they begin to wither and waste.

Content for this question contributed by Robin Hostler, resident of York, York County, Pennsylvania, USA