The tonsils are lymph nodes in the back of your throat, just behind the soft palate. You have two tonsils that help filter out germs and bacteria to help prevent infection. You’re probably unaware of them through an average day because they are barely noticeable. However, the removal of your tonsils through tonsillectomy is actually a very common procedure and is beneficial when your tonsils are giving you issues in your sleep. Let’s explore how tonsils can affect your sleep and how tonsil removal surgery can help.
Tonsils and Sleep
As mentioned before, your tonsils are a natural part of your body and are in the back of your throat. Normal tonsils rarely impede the airway, but tonsils can commonly become enlarged. Tonsils can become enlarged by viruses, infections, smoking, fungal infections, and bacteria. An enlarged tonsil can push against the soft palate and cause the airway to shrink. You’re unlikely to notice it when you’re awake, but a shrunken airway can cause sleep apnea and snoring while you sleep.
Your muscles and soft palate will naturally relax as you sleep. Your body will struggle to breathe in air properly and will have to periodically wake up throughout the night to keep you breathing. You will likely not remember waking up because it was only for a moment. However, this can happen dozens or even hundreds of times throughout the night with sleep apnea. This issue is only compounded by any other sleep apnea-causing conditions you may be experiencing. Thankfully, tonsil removal surgery can alleviate snoring and sleep apnea caused by an enlarged tonsil.
Seeking Treatment
Now that you know some of the common signs of needing tonsil removal surgery, it’s important to know where to seek treatment. Thankfully, Dr. David O. Volpi with EOS Sleep provides tonsil removal surgery. Dr. Volpi primarily does this as a way to alleviate issues with snoring and sleep apnea. Dr. Volpi is an expert board-certified otolaryngologist with over thirty years of experience in private practice in New York City. If you’re having issues with snoring and sleep apnea, contact EOS Sleep at 212-873-6036 to see if tonsil removal surgery is right for you.