What Happened to All the Tonsillectomies?

QUESTION: When I was a youngster, everyone had their tonsils removed at an
early age. Now I have 6 grandchildren, and none of them have had this
operation. Why? Have we developed a new breed of humans without tonsils?
Could you please explain what has gone right with our youngsters?
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ANSWER: In a world where so little seems to be going right these days, I am
happy to provide you with your answer. No, these children do not belong to a
new breed, despite appearances. The major difference is the availability of
antibiotics that effectively kill the bacteria that cause the infection that
is know as tonsillitis. The most common infecting organism is of the
streptococcal variety, and is susceptible to penicillin. Early administration
of this or other antibiotics prevents the bacteria from gaining a foothold in
the tonsils, and reduces the frequency of recurrent infections. When tonsils
are not scarred by frequent infections they gradually dwindle in size over
time. However, when recurrent infections do occur, and tonsils hypertrophy
(grow larger) a tonsillectomy may still be indicated to remove the chronically
infected glands. It seems as though your "new breed" has just been a lucky
bunch, and avoided that problem.