Q: Why do I get a sore throat so often?

 

Chronic tonsillitis can happen in kids, but also in young adults as well.  It is when the tonsils get infected over and over again, leading to having to be on antibiotics and generally feeling miserable. 

Many people ask, “Why do I get sore throats all the time?” 

The problem has to do with the structure of the tonsils.  Tonsils have tiny pockets in them and sometimes the pockets can get very big and go very deep within the tonsils, where bacteria can attach to bits of debris and be unable to be cleared or fully digested by the body.  When this occurs, repeat infections occur because we can’t completely get rid of the bacteria. 

So, the question remains:

“When should they be removed for those who suffer from chronic tonsillitis?

 In the 1980’s, a famous study came out with recommendations for tonsillectomy for chronic tonsillitis.  This is called the “Paradise Criteria”. 

If a patient has:

- 3 episodes of sore throat per year for 3 or more years

- 5 infections per year for two years, or

- 7 episodes in one year

then this guideline states that tonsillectomy should make a big difference.  Some doctors will offer surgery with more liberal numbers of sore throat, but the Paradise study is the gold standard.  

Having tons of sore throats?  It may be that you have bacteria hiding in your tonsils, festering.

We can talk more about tonsillectomy (how it is done, risks, recovery, etc) in another post. 

 
 

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Throat, Teach & LearnErin Shellenbergersore throat, tonsils, tonsillectomy, tonsillitis, throat