Tag Archives: tonsils

Toddler Hearing Test

Jessie has been working with Early Childhood Intervention for more than a year. As much as I wanted her to get speech therapy, no one would agree to it until well after she turned two. Previously it was agreed that she was communicating just fine, although not the way I wanted. I wanted to make sure that there weren’t any problems with her hearing. If she’s not hearing the sounds right, it’s no wonder she’s not repeating them. I found an ENT and scheduled her appointment. The hearing test was a lot different than when I had my hearing tested … Continue reading →

Tonsillectomy May Not Be Cost Effective

A Dutch study has found that surgery to remove the tonsils may not be the most cost-effective treatment option for children. The University Medical Center Utrecht observed three hundred between 2000 and 2003. These children were between the ages of two and eight and were suffering from moderate throat infections. Half of the children were chosen to have their tonsils and/or adenoids removed. The other half were assigned to “watchful waiting” — close monitoring of symptoms and interventions where necessary. Researchers checked on the children and families at three month intervals for two years. In the watchful waiting group, annual … Continue reading →

A Look at Tonsil and Adenoid Problems

There are many different things that can affect the tonsils and adenoids. The following are a few of the more common issues. Difficulty breathing due to enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids — these obstructions can cause snoring and disturbed sleep. Some orthodontists believe that mouth breathing (thanks to large tonsils and adenoids) can cause malformations of the face and poor teeth alignment. Symptoms include breathing through the mouth instead of the nose, noisy breathing, recurring ear infections, snoring, and sleep apnea. Chronic infection that affects the ear — infection can enter the Eustachian tube (the passage between the back of the … Continue reading →

Tonsils and Adenoids

Between my allergy problems and my sinus issues, I had more than my fair share of upper respiratory infections when I was little. There was a period of time when I had one case of tonsillitis after another, and there was talk of taking my tonsils out. (In case you’re wondering how it all ended up — I still have them.) Tonsils and adenoids are masses of tissue similar to the glands in your neck, groin, and armpits — your lymph nodes. Tonsils are two masses of tissue on the back of the throat. Adenoids are higher in the throat … Continue reading →

Sleep Disorder: Jeremiah’s Story

Tonight might be the last night I don’t get any sleep. In January my son Jeremiah will turn five. He was placed with us for adoption three-days before his first birthday and has NOT slept through the night even one night since he joined our family. For the first year I just lived with it thinking it might be normal for a little baby who had already been in the care of four different mom’s. I just resigned myself to the fact that he and I would share those hours in the middle of the night together and bond better. … Continue reading →