Almond removal increases the risk of infectious diseases and allergies

Tonsillectomy and adenotomy increase the susceptibility to infection and allergies

Australian scientists found that children who had their palate and / or tonsils removed before the age of 10 have a higher risk of developing infections or allergies later in life.

Tonsillectomy and adenotomy are among the most common surgical procedures in early childhood. So far, the long-term effects of the operations have been little studied. A research team from the University of Melbourne evaluated only data from Danish children born between 1979 and 1999, who had undergone adenotomy (17,460 children), tonsillectomy (11,830 children) or adenotonsillectomy (31,377) before the age of ten.

They investigated whether they were more or less likely to be involved in the period up to the end of 2009 due to 28 different illnesses than 1.65 million children without the interventions.

The result shows that the removal of almonds before the age of 10 seems to have an influence on many later illnesses at a later age. This was most evident in diseases of the upper respiratory tract. After an adenotomy, the children contracted almost twice, and after a tonsillectomy nearly three times as often. But they also suffered more often from allergic diseases or infections in general.

On the other hand, the removal of throat and palate tonsils could protect against later diseases. This was detectable for chronic tonsillitis. Sleep disorders were also less common after adenotomy, although the influence was relatively small. The authors of the study advise to await the results of further studies. The study can be read here. (sb, pm)