23 years old- tonsil and adenoid removal?

Hello

I am yet to have my sleep study. It is booked for early January.

I am 23 years old with suspected sleep apnea. I am not overweight at all. I spoke to my doctor about alternative treatments to CPAP and he said the removal of my tonsils/adenoids could be an option. Considering I am young, not overweight etc...could this be effective? Or is it just going to be a waste of time?

Many Thanks

Rydog22 wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 24, 2018 9:24 am

I spoke to my doctor about alternative treatments to CPAP and he said the removal of my tonsils/adenoids could be an option.

You don't say what kind of doctor. Assuming she was not an ENT, you need to have a consultation with an ENT. A good ENT is very familiar with OSA and can give you advice about the size of your tonsils/adenoids. She can tell you if it is probable that enlargement of these organs is contributing to your OSA.

Rydog22 wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 24, 2018 9:24 am

Considering I am young, not overweight etc...could this be effective?

I don't want to discourage you because you really should have a consultation with an ENT, and there are cases where removal of the enlarged organs cured OSA. However, there are plenty of skinny people who had these organs removed in childhood and have OSA today. (I am one of that group.)

See that ENT. Please update this thread after the visit.

Hi Rydog22,

This is your second start of a thread. You'll get better help if you stick with one thread, and not start another – unless the topic is markedly different.

BTW, have you read all the posts to your previous thread? Including the one from me?

While I'm on, it may help if I explain something. 'Specialists' in the US are what we call 'consultants' in the UK. And you don't usually get to see one in the NHS system unless you've been referred by a GP (family doctor) or by another consultant.

In the US, it's different. You can often go and see a specialist direct.

That's why people on this forum can say, "Go see an ENT specialist (direct)." Because you can.

Other than in the private medicine sector, you can't do that in the UK.

And now that the 'possible sleep-apnea?' referral is in train, it's unlikely that your GP will refer you to an ENT department* until the sleep-medicine department have finished their intake process - ie, the Epworth questionnaire and the sleep study.

I can understand that you're anxious to move forward. You'll just have to be patient.

* And of course, unless there's an emergency.