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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Swollen Tonsils, Swallowing Difficulty And Severe Cough?

I have a question. My tonsils are swollen and my epiglottis is visible. I also have the feeling that there is something throat, it feels like mucus and i can not swallow. I cough a lot and swallowing is difficult sometimes. Is this something I have to worry about?
Mon, 18 Jan 2016
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
welcome to hcm,
I really appreciate your concern,
You have chronic tonsillitis which can be caused by either a bacterial or viral cause, which in majority of cases can be treated with medications. The tonsils seem mostly useless to us, but play an important role in providing the human body with immunity. There although are certain indication for tonsil removal and include situations like failure of response to medications, difficulty to swallow, difficulty in breathing, persistent tonsillitis, etc.

The surgical procedure involving the removal of the tonsils is called tonsillectomy and is not considered a serious procedure at all. It is usually conducted on children, but can easily be conducted on adults as well. There are different techniques employed for tonsillectomy and the most suitable one will be selected for you.

I would urge you to visit an ENT (ear, nose, throat) surgeon who should be able to discuss things with you in a more elaborate manner and schedule surgery for you at your most convenient time.
Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Thanks. regards.
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What Causes Swollen Tonsils, Swallowing Difficulty And Severe Cough?

welcome to hcm, I really appreciate your concern, You have chronic tonsillitis which can be caused by either a bacterial or viral cause, which in majority of cases can be treated with medications. The tonsils seem mostly useless to us, but play an important role in providing the human body with immunity. There although are certain indication for tonsil removal and include situations like failure of response to medications, difficulty to swallow, difficulty in breathing, persistent tonsillitis, etc. The surgical procedure involving the removal of the tonsils is called tonsillectomy and is not considered a serious procedure at all. It is usually conducted on children, but can easily be conducted on adults as well. There are different techniques employed for tonsillectomy and the most suitable one will be selected for you. I would urge you to visit an ENT (ear, nose, throat) surgeon who should be able to discuss things with you in a more elaborate manner and schedule surgery for you at your most convenient time. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thanks. regards.