To demand a referral to an ent doctor

[McHappyPants2012]

Hope I am not over reacting, ds has had tonsillitis twice this year. He has been unwell last few day and just complained of a sore throat, had a look and it looks like it has returned again.

He has been on antibiotics both times and finished the course.

Wibu to ask for a referral

YWNBU at all. Have you asked GP already?

To demand or ask?

It can't hurt to ask really, especially if he's having to have so many Anti biotics

To ask I suppose

How old is he?

There's a 'waiting time' joke in there somewhere.

I asked for a referral to ENT and got it, didn't have to demand, just put forth my case (enlarged tonsils, snoring and poor sleep, father has severe sleep apnoea and needed his tonsils and adenoids out, mouth breathing, several chest/throat/ear infections).

Please do get your request in. It's taken a year for me to get an appointment to be seen (this Thursday). There seems to be a long waiting list everywhere.

Thing is you can get it twice in one year then never again. Or not for years. So I don't think unless it has been a regular occurrence the doctor would feel it necessary.

Depends on your local service but in ours you need 8 episodes over a year, anything less and they will reject the referral. This is based on current SIGN guidelines. Do you want the tonsils out over just 2 episodes? Or just an appointment for advice/reassurance?

ENT nurse here :)

Current guidelines state at least 6 to 8 episodes of infection over 12 months or 9 plus over 2 years anyless then no to the operation

But like everything else there is flexibility within the guidelines the main one been if the infections result in lengthy absences from work or school??

How old?

That doesn't sound a lot to me. We got referal to Ent when ds was having ear infections every 10-14 days from age 3 months until he had grommets in at 20 months. The waiting list wasn't more than about 6 weeks either.

Dd1 certainly had tonsilitis more than 3 times one year, but hasn't had it since. I suspect at this stage they'd say something along the lines of it nearly being summer when they get less infections so they'd be better to wait until next winter and see how they're going.

Round here I doubt they would consider taking the tonsils out unless there were other factors effecting it.

YABU if you want your DS to have an operation they don't necessariliy need. New research shows a tonsillectomy doesn't always solve the problem (it is possible to still get infections once the tonsils are removed) and so the operation is not carried out routinely any more. I don't think your GP is trying to be difficult by not referring you. There is also risk attached to surgery and I believe there is a slightly increased risk of post operative bleeding after a tonsillectomy. Also tonsillitis is usually caused by a virus therefore antibiotics aren't necessarily going to work.

He is 5, I don't want them out just some advice how I can avoid him getting it again.

Sorry about the wait in reply had housework and bedtime routine to do

Twice or three times in a year is not bad enough to consider surgery.

Your GP is the best person to talk to then, ENT referral would really achieve anything different.

Two episodes in one year could just be an unlucky run? Perhaps wait and see if things improve over the next few months.

DD1 really suffered with her tonsils at one point and we were referred to ENT. They said she could have them out 'if we wanted her to' but said they could not guarantee it would be the end of sore throats. We decided to leave it a year and in the following years she has had only 1 or 2 infections in 12 months so I'm hoping she's just growing out of it. Also my friend had a serious haemorrhage after a tonsillectomy and could have died so its is not an operation without risks and unless my DD really gets worse again it's not something I'd push for.

I think it is just me over reacting, I am worried about him missing so much time off school as it wipes him out

I had to be pretty persistent with my GP. Had numerous bouts of sinusitus, and the GP just recommended painkillers to ease it.

Finally got ENT referral, but it's a slow hog. 18 week wait for each and every step. It's taken a full year so far since my first referral.

Bear in mind they can grow back!!

I had my tonsils removed when I was 8 (back when they gave you loads of ice cream to help heal!!).

A couple of years ago I had a sore throat that I couldn't shake off and decided to go to the Doctors and was told I have tonsillitis - apparantly one of my tonsils has grown back!

Dont worry OP it's hard when they are ill. I think if he has had 2 bouts he's probably run down and then more prone to catching something else. It's a vicious circle sometimes. Roll on summer:)

Roll on the summer, sick of illness now