Can enlarged tonsils with no pain be treated with antibiotics?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have been suffering from enlarged tonsils for more than two months. I used prescription antibiotics, but it is still enlarged. There is no pain, but I have only the feeling of something stuck in my throat.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Having enlarged tonsils is not a disease in itself. If you have pain, difficulty swallowing, or fever, you need to take antibiotics when you have tonsillitis. Enlarged tonsils can be associated with sleep apnea or sleep disorder breathing wherein mouth breathing or snoring may be present. The treatment in such a situation would be removing the tonsils (Tonsillectomy). Another reason for tonsillectomy is frequent tonsils infections, like seven episodes in a year or five episodes for 2 years or three episodes every year for the last 3 years. However, if enlarged tonsils are troubling you, the only treatment is surgery because there are no medicines to decrease the size of non-infected tonsils. Actively infected tonsils size is bigger than non-infected due to infection. With antibiotics, this extra swelling decreases, and nothing more will reduce after that. I hope this helps.