They help us create antibodies to fight bacteria, thus acting as great allies of the immune system. Due to its strategic location – at the crossroads between the mouth, nose and throat – the tonsils end up perceiving and processing all bacteria that invade the organism, through the air or food. “Its main function is to develop antibodies to fight specific bacteria, so that the body can quickly defend itself and create immunity if it is attacked by the same bacteria the next time”, says otorhinolaryngologist Luc Weckx, from the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp).
Until the end of the 1970s, when the usefulness of the tonsils was still unknown, surgery to remove them was common. The aim was to get rid of tonsillitis: common inflammation caused by the very bacteria with which the tonsils came into contact to defend the body. In certain people, this can become constant, what doctors call recurrent tonsillitis.
Another common disease is hyperplasia, when tonsils grow too much, making breathing and food intake difficult. “Today, antibiotics take care of most tonsillitis. Therefore, removal only occurs when there is a real need”, says Luc.
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There are three types of tonsils to protect us from bacteria
As its name implies, the rhinopharyngeal tonsil sits between the pharynx (beginning of the throat) and the canal leading to the nose The palatine tonsils sit at the bottom of the roof of the mouth, also called the palate The lingual tonsils are obviously in the language – more precisely at its base
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