“Kissing someone when I have enlarged tonsils?”
I have enlarged tonsils and tonsil stones. Thing is, my tonsils are constantly enlarged. It doesn’t matter if I’m sick or not. So I was wondering, is my condition contagious? Can I still kiss someone?
Male | 18 years old
Medications: None
Conditions: Possible tonsillitis
2 Answers
Of course, you can. General clinicians, and sometimes even some ENT specialists, give opinions as to whether tonsils are "enlarged." There is no science to that judgment, unless the tonsils are grossly infected, in which case they do swell, as does any other part of the body that is infected. In truth, you cannot judge the size of something that is not completely visible, and tonsils are never completely visible. Only part of the tonsils are seen, and size is judged by the size of that part that is visible. If you could see the entire tonsils, you would see that the ones that appear to be "enlarged," or "swollen," end just under the mucosa, whereas the ones that look "small" extend farther (under the mucosal throat lining) to the sides of the throat where they can't be seen. So it's truly NOT a question of SIZE, but a question of LOCATION. Some people's throats develop with the tonsils toward the middle of the throat; others develop with them to the sides. Where they are located is of NO CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE! At least 95% of tonsillectomies constitute unnecessary surgery, in my opinion. The very unfortunate, really tragic fact is that some patients die from the procedure.
Only if the kissee is immune compromised.
