I’m worried about my husband. He always breathes through his mouth and I don’t think he uses his nose properly. As a child he was operated on his tonsils and adenoids. Could it have something to do with that? He is in his early 60s. Joris Bartstra, journalist with a medical diploma
Your tonsils and tonsils are part of the so-called ‘Waldeyer’s ring’: a ring of immune cells in the throat, at the junction of the mouth, throat and nasal cavity. These immune cells ‘scan’ the air you breathe for bacteria and viruses, so that antibodies can be produced. In young children, this area can swell and become inflamed with infections. In that case, something is often removed: the tonsils or tonsils. If you remove a lot of tissue, the tissue in other places in the ‘ring’ can actually grow faster. This may also be the case with your husband. I would have it looked at by the GP and possibly ask for a consultation with the ENT doctor. Obvious abnormalities can be corrected with laser treatment.
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