Why Is One Tonsil Bigger Than the Other in My Child? A Parent’s Guide You ask your child to open their mouth because they have complained of a sore throat. Then you notice something unexpected: One tonsil looks much bigger than the other. It is an understandably worrying discovery. Parents may immediately wonder whether the tonsil is infected, whether it should be removed—or whether an uneven tonsil can indicate something serious. The reassuring message is that tonsil asymmetry in children is often benign . Tonsils are not perfectly symmetrical structures. They sit in spaces on either side of the throat called the tonsillar fossae, and differences in the depth and shape of these spaces can make one tonsil appear larger even when their actual volumes are quite similar. A UK evidence-based review published in the British Journal of General Practice in 2024 notes that most apparent unilateral tonsillar enlargement is associated with benign explanations such as anatomical v...
Has My Child Broken Their Nose? What Parents Should Do After a Nasal Injury A football hits your child in the face. They fall from a scooter. Two children collide in the playground. Within minutes, the nose can look swollen, bruised and surprisingly different from normal. Parents understandably ask: “Have they broken their nose?” The difficulty is that immediately after an injury, swelling itself can make the nose appear crooked . It may therefore be impossible to know on the first day whether a nasal fracture requires treatment. Fortunately, most childhood nasal injuries are uncomplicated. University Hospitals Sussex notes that nasal injuries are common in children and that most bruising and swelling settles without further treatment. Nasal fractures are also less common in younger children because much of the developing nose is still cartilage rather than bone. However, some important exceptions exist. Parents need to recognise significant head-injury symptoms, uncontr...