What are the symptoms of enlarged tonsils?
Sep 17, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Xu Gang
Introduction
In general, symptoms of tonsillar hypertrophy include difficulty swallowing, voice changes, breathing difficulties, throat discomfort, and coughing. Patients are advised to seek timely medical attention at a正规 hospital and follow medical advice for symptomatic treatment. Tonsillar hypertrophy is often caused by recurrent infections. When it occurs, some patients may experience slow eating and difficulty swallowing.
Under normal circumstances, symptoms of tonsillar hypertrophy may include difficulty swallowing, voice changes, breathing difficulties, throat discomfort, and coughing. Patients are advised to seek timely medical attention at a正规 hospital and follow medical advice for symptomatic treatment. Specific analysis is as follows:
1. Difficulty Swallowing
Tonsillar hypertrophy is often caused by recurrent infections. When the tonsils become enlarged, some patients may experience slow eating and difficulty swallowing. In such cases, liquid or semi-liquid foods such as porridge or soft noodles can assist with eating. Eating too quickly may also trigger nausea.
2. Voice Changes
As the tonsils are an important part of the human immune system, their enlargement can compress the vocal cords to varying degrees, causing hoarseness or even noticeable stuttering. Under medical guidance, patients may use medications such as cefaclor capsules, amoxicillin capsules, or azithromycin for oral suspension to treat the condition.
3. Breathing Difficulties
When tonsillar hypertrophy reaches moderate or grade 3 enlargement or higher, it can obstruct the airway and narrow the upper respiratory tract, easily leading to breathing difficulties. Symptoms may include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and breathlessness. Under medical supervision, patients may use medications such as budesonide suspension for inhalation, beclomethasone dipropionate inhalation aerosol, or compound salbutamol sulfate aerosol for treatment.
4. Throat Discomfort
In severe cases of tonsillar hypertrophy, patients may feel a distinct foreign body sensation in the throat, resulting in upper airway narrowing. This often leads to obvious snoring and sleep apnea. Patients should promptly undergo sleep breathing tests at a hospital. If moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea is diagnosed, surgical removal of the tonsils is recommended.
5. Coughing
Enlarged tonsils may abnormally contact and irritate the posterior pharyngeal wall or base of the tongue, causing a foreign body sensation that triggers coughing and throat discomfort. Under medical guidance, patients may use medications such as Chuanbei Pipa syrup, compound methoxyphenamine capsules, or carbocisteine tablets for treatment.
If patients experience any discomfort, they are advised to seek prompt medical evaluation to avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment.
