Is it normal for tonsils to be permanently enlarged? Links to HSP?

[LucyMarie1]

Hi,
My daughter is 5 years old and has permanently enlarged tonsils and I wanted to find out how normal this is. My understanding of tonsillitis is that they get swollen and sore and then go back to normal but hers don't go back to normal size. She says that most of the time they are painful.
We've seen ENT, who have put her on the waiting list to have them out, they are grade 4 (the biggest grading). There is very little space between them. Although being on the list, I do have the option of not going ahead so any views on pros and cons welcome.
I'm mostly concerned that it might be a symptom of her immune system not working correctly and that taking them out might disguise another problem. She had HSP in December (www.nhs.uk/conditions/henoch-schonlein-purpura/Pages/Introduction.aspx) which basically means her immune system was hyper active and didn't switch off. She recovered but as the tonsils are part of the immune system I'm wondering whether this might be a symptom of her body doing something similar and don't want to overlook something potentially more serious.
Has anybody had any experience in either permanently enlarged tonsils or similar symptoms post HSP?
Many thanks!

[WalkerBait]

My ds was born with grade 3 tonsils and now age 3.5 is having them out in August. They affect his sleep, his eating, his breathing ect. There is no doubt we will have them out and that is grade 3.

No experience of HSP though sorry. But it does sound like they need to come out. On average in a month my ds will be well for a week and unwell the other 3.

[Nospringflower]

Don't know what grade my sons were but they looked huge with very little space for swallowing. He had sleep apnoea (never had tonsillitis) and had them out age 5. It transformed him
so would recommend it if it's an option/necessary.

[Expatmomma]

My son had exactly the same. His was constantly infected too.

The gap was so tiny I often wondered how he could eat.

He was tiny for his age and was failing to thrive. He only came up to chest level of most of his little friends.

He also had only put on 1kg in 1 year!!

I too was worried but we went ahead and did the op.

Best Decision Ever!

They discovered that the tissue inside the tonsils had been mostly destroyed my infection and all that was left was the outer skin and the inside was just green pus!

In the first month after the op he put on 1kg alone!!! And boy did he find his appetite!

His growth took off and he shot past many classmates over the next few years.

Today he is 16 and sports mad... A fine strapping lad!!!

My advice would be go for it. Your dcs quality of life will probably improve drastically.

[Expatmomma]

Forgot to say he was 3 when they were removed.

[furtivefeline]

DD aged 3.9 has had massive tonsils since she was about 1yr old. Each the size of a large grape and they almost touch in the middle. No other conditions diagnosed and she has never been diagnosed with tonsillitis or complained of a sore throat though she does get her fair share of colds etc. She's a fairly poor eater, prefers to graze and isn't particularly active but that seems to be her personality. Sizewize she's just a bit below average height and weight. GP said she'd grow out of (or into?) the enlarged tonsils. I've wondered on/off whether to push for tonsillectomy but can't honestly say that they seem to bother her. Curious as to whether anyone knows if/when they start to shrink?