Health & Parenting

Tonsil and Adenoid Problems in Kids Signal Overall Poorer Health

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"This study ... finds many significant [quality of life factors] worsened by this disease," Charles Gross, MD, tells WebMD. "However, the study is limited by the size of the group and by grouping together children aged 2-16 years." Gross, a professor of otolaryngology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, was not involved in the study.

"Although tonsil and adenoid problems are often considered trivial, some children have had dramatic changes in lifestyle," David Tunkel, MD, the director of pediatric otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, tells WebMD in an independent interview. "However, because these patients were [from] otolaryngology clinics [clinics that specialize in diseases that affect the ears, nose, and throat], it would be helpful to study children with tonsil and adenoid disease in pediatric practices."

Vital Information

• Children with chronically infected tonsils and enlarged adenoids suffer from lower general health and have a poorer quality of life than healthy children.
• The authors say the study should compel doctors to refocus more attention on children's quality of life when they have these common illnesses.
• Parents should also be compelled to seek proper treatment for their children who suffer from chronically infected tonsils and enlarged adenoids.