Tonsil Removal – Tips for Patients
Getting your tonsils removed can be a path to a better life. Perhaps, “tunnel,” is a better word. Whether due to chronic tonsillitis, strep throat, tonsil stones, sleep apnea, cancer, or all of the above, getting your tonsils removed will change your life. After having a tonsillectomy at the age of 44, I found very little support, understanding, or good information available to people considering tonsil removal, or recovering from a tonsillectomy.
For those reasons, I created this site for people considering tonsillectomy, or who have recently had their tonsils removed.
After having my surgery and subsequent recovery, researching, writing, and reading experiences of others, I’ve learned a bit about how to best go about this. Read all the other pages of the site, especially the comments posted. You’ll learn alot. Let me just take this one post to highlight the basics of tonsil removal, and recovering from a tonsillectomy.
Should I have my tonsils removed?
This is often a tough question to answer. I won’t attempt to answer it for you. If you have large cryptic tonsils like I did. If you get tonsillitis and/ or strep throat several times per year. If you snore at night-maybe you suffer from sleep apnea and you don’t even know it. I did. All of this, to me adds up to some compelling reasons to have a tonsillectomy. I did. I am glad. Talk to your doctor. Read these pages. If you decide to have a tonsillectomy, let me give you my quick and dirty guide to getting your tonsils removed.
A Note About Ear Pain After Tonsil Removal
A common side effect of having tonsils removed is ear pain. This phenomena is what’s called a referred pain. The actual source of the pain is the throat, the tonsil beds, more specifically. The nerve that runs along the jaw can refer pain to the ears. The best relief I know of for this ear pain after tonsillectomy is chewing gum. I recommend a sugarless minty gum. A warm compress can also relieve this ear pain that often follow having ones tonsils out.
If I were to have my tonsils removed again, I would…
-Take two full weeks off from work.
–Buy a good quality humidifier
-Talk with my doctor IN ADVANCE about pain management. Insist upon enough pain medicine to last ten days!
-Make sure I had a comfortable recliner to sleep in.
-Buy a good ice bag
-Begin icing IMMEDIATELY after tonsillectomy surgery and stay with it.
-Stock up on full seasons of good shows. (Medications make reading difficult)
-Begin eating as much as possible and continue eating as much as possible.**
** This is a big one. Eating after tonsillectomy helps ward off the nausea associated with pain medicine. But it also helps the healing process. The old, “use it or lose it,” idea. In the U.K. and Australia, doctors advise their patients to eat rough foods after tonsillectomy. In the U.S. this is not so common. Usually the soft diet is recommended. It’s what I did. After reading THOUSANDS of accounts from people all over the world who have had their tonsils removed, I have decided that the U.K. and Australian doctors have it right. Time and time again I read of folks saying that their’s was not such a bad recovery-much better than the accounts they’d read of. Nine times out of ten, those people were eating rough foods from the get-go, and stayed with it.
I think having that food brush by the tonsil beds regularly minimizes the formation of scabs. these scabs are what cause many of the bleeding problems as they fall off. The scabs also make it hard to swallow. wait, let’s say, “makes swallowing feel like a ball of razor blades going down your throat.” Ok, back to the list of what I would do if I had my tonsils removed again…
-Drink lots and lots and lots of ice cold water. This is huge! It reduces inflammation after tonsillectomy, but also keeps the throat moist and works the muscles of the throat.
-Buy a Slushie machine
-Talk to my family and friends and ask for their support.
-READ THE COMMENTS FROM THIS WEBSITE!!!
Whether or not you decide to have a tonsillectomy, I wish you the very best of health. Take care,
Greg Tooke
My short bio
Hi. I have just found this website after looking for info on side effects of having my tonsils out. I have to say that there isn’t much apart from the normal medical jargon.
I had my tonsils out 3 weeks ago and I have to say that I have never felt so I’ll before. The worst part for me was week two, I was finally beginning to feel more ‘normal’ and I decided to eat something other than the yoghurt and chicken soup that kept the hunger at bay.
I was wondering if anyone else ended up with a numb tongue or tingling sensation after their op. I have also since the op lost my sweet taste buds and everything I eat has a strange after taste. If it doesn’t come back by the end of the week I am going to my doctor because I miss my morning cup of tea.
Had my tonsillectomy this past Wednseday, Dec. 8, 2012. Experiencing major pain in throat and right ear. Left side seems to be alot less painful for some reason. After reading all these posts, I don’t think I’m drinking as much water as I should be. I try to avoid as much swallowing as possible because of the pain. But ice water is the only thing I do drink. I’ve been eating ice cream, jello and mashed potatoes. I sure wish I’d found this site BEFORE my surgery. It’s amazing to read everyone else’s posts and say “hey, I can relate to that”. Seems I’m right on schedule with what everyone else is experiencing. However, I am not able to see my tonsil bed. I have tried looking using a flashlight and I just can’t see anything. Of course it’s way too painful to open my mouth very wide. On top of this, I also have TMJ which I think this surgery has only exagerated that pain as well. And I’m dying to know… how are these people able to drink Coke after this surgery? My goodness, I can’t hardly drink it without a tonsillectomy because it burns so bad going down the throat. Anyway, thanks for this forum. It has been very insightful!!!
My tonsils were removed on 7th January 2012. The wound healed within 2 weeks and I resumed eating any type of food. In 2 months, I got back all the the ordeal bad breath, dryness of the throat and when ever I get back to my ENT Dr. she gives me antibiotics assuring me that I will be ok regardless of the continues complains and discomforts I pass through. on 10th to 16th November 2012, I got a very painful sore throat which caused hardships in swallowing, and talking till the 5th day when I started getting better. I am therefore just wondering why this the same symptoms of the tonsillitis return and under going a tonsillectomy?
Oliver Michael
Yesterday morning I had my tonsils out. I am 44 years old. I feel as if I am doing fairly well. My biggest problem is I can’t breathe well with my mouth shut. I am having horrible dry mouth. Been drinking ice water like crazy which causes many trips to the bathroom. Very nervous about the next several days. Thanks for your website.
Hi Lori- glad you’re getting some value from the site. Keep drinking that ice water!
Greg – great write up. This site was a life line for me after my tonsillectomy. You’re doing great work!
Thanks Beth! it’s a labor of love! Folks like you who share their experiences are really what make it a great place for tonsillectomy patients.
Hey Greg~ Ha, up late taking my pills and I can’t fall back asleep so I always come read here to see how others are feeling… I just wanted to thank you as well for this site it was so helpful 🙂 I feel amazing on day 9 and I really think the advice on here helped get me thru all of this!! I’m finally seeing the light at the end of this tunnel. Xoxo
Aw thanks Danielle. I’m so glad to hear that you’re doing better. Hope you can stop back or stay in contact on Face Book. Take care!