to think these tonsils are bloody massive?

[NeonFlamingos]

We're at our wits end. DD aged 3 hasn't ever slept more than a few hours at a time. She snores, struggles to breathe at night and gasps/screams out when needing to catch her breath. Any sign of a virus and it's all ten times worse. I've spoken to GP a few times and they won't see her, saying it's all normal and she'll grow into her large tonsils (which I'm feeling are the culprit here).

Wondering if anyone has been through anything similar and could look at this photo? Are these tonsils extremely large? They are healthy here and I get such fear for her getting a virus that will make them enlarge even more! She has tiny nostrils too so a blocked nose is hellish for her also. Should I be pushing for her to be seen or do we just need to endure these nights until she grows?

I would kick up a fuss to get her checked.They look big and how can a doctor tell without seeing her.
Failing that, a dentist could probably give you a good idea if it's a problem.

DD 14 has enlarged tonsil and I would your child has the same. DD has always been a slow eater because she needs to chew her food longer so it's small enough to get past easily, she also sometimes finds food gets stuck behind them etc. she used to suffer terribly as a child with tonsillitis and it was terrifying because her already massive tonsils would swell. Eventually, after six bouts of tonsillitis in a year I told the GP I wouldn't accept a refusal to our request for a referral to a specialist. For years the GPs had just been telling us the same - she'll grow into them etc etc.

We got the referral - took about twelve months to see the specialist but in that year she didn't have tonsillitis once - Sod's Law!! Because she hadn't had it he said he was reluctant to remove them despite them being massive. We obviously didn't want her to go through an unnecessary surgery so we agreed.

We are fortunate though that she seems to have grown out of the tonsillitis and hasn't had it for years. However I do regret not pushing for the removal tbh. If I could do it over I think I still would have had them out anyway.

I'd speak to GP and really push for a referral if I were you so you at least know what your options are x

Video her snoring- particularly if she has gaps in her breathing as this is obstructive sleep apnoea. Show this to the GP.
The gp needs to do a referral to ENT. The wait list will be long but you absolutely need them out. Chances are her adenoids will also be massive.

You shouldn't have a problem getting funding for a tonsillectomy if you can prove obstructive sleep apnea (a video is fine). You can challenge the GP with the NICE guidelines if they refuse to refer. Here are what the NICE guidelines say:

Arrange referral to a paediatric ears, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist if a child:
◦ Has clinical features of nasopharyngeal obstruction such as adenotonsillar hypertrophy and regular snoring at night.

Thank you all - really helpful comments. Will call GP this week.

I'm glad your daughter has grown out of the awful tonsillitis - it's really grim. Thanks for taking the time to reply and for the encouragement to keep asking!

We have the same issue! Our son gets sleep apnea from it. So they think it also affects his behaviour.
we saw a ent last week on my husbands military base and they have booked him in to have them removed nearly instantly as it causes sleep issues. Definitely get them to take you seriously. Because it’s not nice for the kid 😔

I ended up with tonsils like that as an adult. I saw an ENT privately and he immediately said they should come out. I can’t say if whether “growing into” your tonsils is actually a thing but it sounds suspiciously like a brush off to me. I would push hard for a referral making clear all the breathing issues.

They look enormous to me. I definitely think you should push for referral, especially if it’s affecting her breathing

I filmed dc and did an audio recording and took then to the gp. He was referred to ent, they then we did a sleep monitor over a few days at home. That confirmed sleep apnea but then it was nearly a 5 year wait for adenoids and tonsils removed on nhs

Massive!

Mine have been enormous my whole life and I didn’t grow into them, they’re just as huge as ever, so not sure if that’s a thing! Glad you’re going to really persevere with the doc if they’re clearly causing her issues -

I had a lot of infections and once when I was 10 they ended up so inflamed I had to go to A&E because they were making me gag, they had completely filled my throat overnight and were resting on the back of my tongue. You can imagine the pain. A&E doc was visibly surprised and ENT asked if it was okay if they took photos 😂

I never got tonsillitis so severely again so I held onto them, sadly, but if I get a sore throat they’re a pain (literally) and I also choke awake quite regularly🤨

I don’t even know which bit is a tonsil. That’s embarrassing isn’t it. Off to google tonsils, as of course I’ve heard of them but never looked at any.

They are not puppy paws to be grown into. They are massive and must cause her no end of problems.

My son had a hideous cough and breathing problems from being a baby. I paid for him to see specialist after specialist when eventually they agreed to remove his enormous tonsils. 2 years of sleepless nights with never ending issues resolved in a flash. Do some research and find an ENT consultant and ask your GP to refer you. It's worth paying for that initial consultation.

The size of the tonsils doesn't really matter. What does is that you mention her snoring and gasping for breath at night. Sounds like she needs a sleep study to see if she has obstructive sleep apnoea, and if so then she may need tonsillectomy. (This would be under ENT)

Hi, I'm not medical but your DD's tonsils look just like my DS's did - he had grade four tonsils (the largest) and they were 'kissing' (pressing onto each other). Similar to other posters, my DS struggled with sleep apnoea and recurrent tonsillitis. His sleep was disturbed, his hearing was compromised which affected his speech and he was really nasally. We saw an ENT surgeon (he was AMAZING, happy to pass on details) and he removed tonsils and adenoids, and we've never looked back. DS's sleep is perfect, his hearing has returned to normal and his speech is ahead of his peers.

Sleep apnoea is reason enough to remove tonsils whether your DD has recurrent tonsillitis or not, it can really affect their development and cause longer term issues so definitely get a referral from your GP to see an ENT surgeon.

Wishing you luck, it feels never ending when you're in the thick of it but once they've been removed you'll be amazed at the difference.

P.S Children don't 'grow into' their tonsils. Tonsils are redundant after 6 months of age and should begin to shrink - in my DS's case they didn't. If your GP isn't taking you seriously then get a second opinion by going via 111 or even A&E when she has a flare up - a friend took their DC when they were really sick with tonsillitis and got a referral to see ENT that way.

Agree with all other posters here. Son 1 and Daughter 2 had tonsils this big. Son 1 did not suffer too badly, but we were in A &E too often for us to be completely happy as a young child (breathing difficulties). Daughter 2 had terrible problems, which just got worse as she got older, tonsillitis from about 8 years old, maybe once or twice a year, but by 14, every month, 3 or 4 days of dreadful temperatures, agony for her, could not keep water down. Tonsils white with infection and a very ill child. She missed so much school. Push for them to be removed. She had hers removed aged 17. It is not the best of operations, but it isn't that bad either, and it actually changes their life. Please push for this. xx

They're very big! My daughter had big tonsils like this. She snored, kept waking up at night and she had a 'thickness' to her voice when she spoke. She never had tonsilitis. The doc took one look down her throat, said she had 'kissing tonsils' and referred her to have them removed. So glad he did because it's been the best thing for her.

In all honesty my kid had this. Always struggles with sore throat/cough and tonsils were sleazy huge. They were 'kissing' which means they were so big they touched in the middle. They didn't do anything as on the whole they didn't cause him too much bother other than sore throats (but not every other week or anything). He was also tested for sleep apnoea as he snored so badly. It kept me awake down the hall. But they did nothing. Tonsils are the first line of defence and they don't want to remove them. He's now a teen and has grown into them. They are weird now and look pitted and gross but don't give him excessive trouble. All I'm saying is they probably won't do anything.

Sleazy! 🤦🏻‍♀️ really!

Maybe go private like other poster....

I can help with this one! My DD had huge tonsils too. Snored terribly, gasped for air. When she got tonsillitis it was terrifying. Also used to routinely choke on food if she tried to swallow too much.

I asked for them to investigate sleep apnea. This was pre covid and they did investigate and she did indeed have it, caused by tonsil size. She ended up having the tonsils removed and problem disappeared.

I think the choking on food helped to get the tonsils removed.