A member asked:

Both tonsils looks like its shrinking and have holes in it, is this normal?

3 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

Cryptic tonsils: Tonsils don't generally shrink but they do often look like they have holes in them. These are known as cryptic tonsils.

Answered 3/29/2013

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In childhood: At birth, your tonsils and adenoids (t&a) are small and your immune system is immature. Your t&a are immunological structures and make antibodies to pathogens, like bacteria and viruses; so as you grow, they grow and enlarge, doing their job. Our immune system is relatively mature at 5 to 7 years of age, when the t&a peak in size. They then usually shrink to become small again by preteen/teenager.

Answered 4/10/2016

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