Tonsil and adenoid removal increases long-term risk of respiratory, allergic and infectious diseases

Tonsil and adenoid removal associated with long-term risks of respiratory, allergic and infectious diseases Removing tonsils and adenoids in childhood increases the long-term risk of respiratory, allergic and infectious diseases, according to researchers who have examined - for the first time - the long-term effects of the operations.

The researchers suggest renewed evaluation of alternatives to these common pediatric surgeries that include removal of tonsils (tonsillectomy) to treat chronic tonsillitis or adenoids (adenoidectomy) to treat recurrent middle ear infections.

The adenoids and tonsils are strategically positioned in the nose and throat respectively to act as a first line of defense, helping to recognize airborne pathogens like bacteria and viruses, and begin the immune response to clear them from the body.

The collaborative study initiated by the Copenhagen Evolutionary Medicine program looked at the long-term effects of removing the tonsils and adenoids in childhood, compared with children who had not undergone the surgeries.

The analysis showed:

• Tonsillectomy was associated with an almost tripled relative risk - the risk for those who had the operation compared with those who didn't - for diseases of the upper respiratory tract. These included asthma, influenza, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder or COPD, the umbrella term for diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
• The absolute risk (which takes into account how common these diseases are in the community) was also substantially increased at 18.61 percent.
• Adenoidectomy was found to be linked with a more than doubled relative risk of COPD and a nearly doubled relative risk of upper respiratory tract diseases and conjunctivitis. The absolute risk was also almost doubled for upper respiratory diseases but corresponded to a small increase for COPD, as this is a rarer condition in the community generally.

For further discussion join with us at "5th International Conference on Rhinology & Otology"

during November 16-17, 2018 at Melbourne, Australia.

For more details: https://otolaryngology.conferenceseries.com/

Contact: otolaryngology2018@gmail.com