Does tonsillectomy cause vata increase and chronic constipation?

Article by Dr Manasa. S, B.A.M.S.

Tonsillectomy is a surgical procedure of removing the tonsils. Tonsils are lymphoid structures, soft tissues, placed at the back of the throat. They form an important part of the immune system. They help the body to fight against disease causing pathogens like bacteria and viruses. When the tonsils get affected with infection, it causes pain, swelling and in some cases fever also. If these symptoms recur repeatedly, they cause difficulty in swallowing and disturb sleep. In this condition, and when the pain and swelling of tonsils is not going away with conventional medicines, the medical professionals would advise to remove the tonsils. This surgical procedure of removal of tonsils is known as tonsillectomy.

Tonsils – Tonsils are two round shaped fleshy masses which are placed at the back of the throat, just, behind the soft palate. Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils which can be acute or chronic. There are three types of tonsillitis. These are as mentioned below –

1.  Acute tonsillitis – The symptoms of this type of tonsillitis would last for 3-4 days in most cases and sometimes can persist for two weeks or so.
2.  Recurrent tonsillitis – This is when someone suffers from tonsilitis several times in a year.
3.  Chronic tonsillitis – This is when someone suffers from tonsillitis for a long period of time.

Signs and Symptoms

Common Signs and symptoms of Tonsillitis include –

–         Swelling of the gland
–         Low to high grade fever
–         Difficulty in swallowing
–         Redness colouration of the inflamed tonsil glands
–         A whitish or yellowish covering on the tonsils
–         Headache
–         Ear pain
–         Loss of appetite
–         Pain in the throat or tenderness

Other symptoms especially found in children

–         Vomiting
–         Drooling
–         Refusing to eat or drink
–         Pain in the stomach

General causes of tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is caused both due to bacteria and virus.

Viruses causing tonsillitis are adenoviruses, influenza virus, Epstein- Barr virus, Enteroviruses, HIV and Herpes simplex virus.

Bacterial tonsillitis is caused by bacteria like staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus bacteria.

An ideal candidate for tonsillectomy

Tonsillitis more commonly occurs in children than in adults. But it can affect people of any age.  All people who suffer from tonsillitis do not require surgical intervention. But it is indicated in individuals who are experiencing tonsillitis repeatedly and when internal medications are not giving long lasting relief.

Tonsillectomy is not only directed towards treating tonsillitis, but it has other benefits as well. The other indications of tonsillectomy are:

–         Frequent and loud snoring
–         Breathing difficulties due to swelling in the tonsils
–         Bleeding of the tonsils
–         Cancer of tonsils

Does tonsillectomy cause chronic constipation?

Acute constipation is one of the after effects of tonsillectomy and need not be present in all individuals who undergo tonsillectomy. Acute constipation after surgical intervention is because of prescribed antibiotics and painkillers. Along with these less intakes of food, not maintaining proper hydration and less physical activity after surgery might be the causes for acute manifestation of constipation. But, chronic constipation after tonsillectomy is very rare and there is not enough data to support that tonsillectomy can cause chronic constipation. In any case of chronic constipation, there needs to be a detailed evaluation regarding the food, sleep patterns, physical activities and history of any kind of long-term medications and detailed knowledge about any kind of long-standing disease an individual is suffering from.

How to prevent constipation after tonsillectomy

• Keeping yourself hydrated
• Including vegetables in the form of soups
• Going for a short distance strolling
• Reduce the quantity of simple carbohydrates like rice, wheat or ragi. Instead of them include oats, jowar and millets.
• Avoid taking any sugary or carbonated drinks
• Avoid any kind of bakery products
• Avoid spicy and oily foods post-surgery.

Ayurvedic explanation

Does tonsillectomy cause vata increase and chronic constipation?

Since tonsils are lymphoid and soft structures they can be compared to organs or structures related to kapha dosha. When tonsils are removed by tonsillectomy there will be local imbalance of kapha. Kapha decrease due to absence of tonsils will lead to vata increase. This increase of vata may be a temporary phenomenon. The aggravation may not be so severe as to affect vata grossly at physical level. Also, after an early part of life tonsils will not have any major role to play in the body.

When tonsils are surgically removed, riktasthana i.e. a vacant space is created in that place. This nurtures the akasha and vayu mahabhuta i.e. ether and air elements which always dominate empty spaces or regions in the body. Due to the increase of these two mahabhutas, there is an increase of vata dosha. This is because vata too is made up of these two elements i.e. akasha and vayu mahabhutas. This increase of vata is not so strong so as to produce chronic constipation.

Due to short term disturbance of vata immediately after tonsillectomy there are chances that vata increase symptoms too can be seen for a few days to few weeks. This may include constipation which stays for a short duration. This is because vata aggravated at one place in the body may also influence other types of vata located elsewhere in the body.

Increase of vata is common after removal of any organ. The increase or aggravation of vata and how mildly or severely it affects the body depends on what major functions the removed organ was serving in the system and if those functions were related to vata functions or not.

 [Note: This is in response to a question which was asked by one of our regular readers and visitors at Easy Ayurveda]