Evaluating your likely current (and near future) state of health means taking into account the risk factors — such as having had an tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy — that affect you. Our medical diagnosis tool, The Analyst™, identifies major risk factors by asking the right questions.
Have you had a Tonsillectomy and/or Adenoidectomy, a procedure in which the tonsils and/or adenoids are removed?
Possible responses:
→ No / don't know→ Yes, tonsils OR adenoids, before age 20 → Yes, tonsils AND adenoids, before age 20 → Yes, tonsils OR adenoids, after age 20 → Yes, tonsils AND adenoids, after age 20 |
Swedish researchers reported in 2011 that having tonsils (or the appendix) removed before age 20 increases one's risk of suffering a heart attack at a young age – 44% increased risk for tonsils, and 33% for the appendix.
Studies started reporting in 2009 that children who have their tonsils removed – with or without the adenoids – are at slightly higher risk of becoming overweight.
The tonsils are part of the immune system and create antibodies (immunoglobulins) that help build immunity against infectious disease. They also create T- and B-lymphocytes ("T cells" and "B cells"), which play important roles in the immune response.