Q: I have swollen tonsils on the right side as told by an ENT specialist but I have no problem while eating and no other symptoms except a regular soft cough. The doctor prescibed GATT tablet and ROXID. I smoke cigarettes, can they affect tonsils and does smoking lead to cancer due to tonsils? I used to smoke 5 to 8 cigarettes daily but now have stopped for the last 4 days. A general physcian told me that this is not due tonsils. Do tonsils cause HIV? Tonsils are in children then how can they cause problems at the age of 22?

A:The size of the tonsil is not significant if there are no symptoms. Only if the size of one tonsil is significantly more than the other one, surgery for histopathological examination is advised. Cigarette smoking for long increases the risk of cancer. Every one has tonsils but only if they start causing problem they need treatment. Small swelling in the neck less than 1 cm is common but the size may increase and they may become painful if there is any infection anywhere in the head and neck.