Tonsils & Adenoids

The tonsils are 2 structures that sit at the back of the throat either side of the soft palate (see diagram). They are part of the bodies immune system and are important in the first few years of life in sampling the environment around you. It is thought they catch incoming bacteria and viruses as they enter the mouth giving the body a chance to develop immunity to these organisms. The vast majority of the bodies exposure to new microbes occurs in the first 3 - 4 years of life and this when the tonsils are most important and therefore at their largest.