The tonsils are an immune organ that provides the first barrier against bacteria and viruses entering through the respiratory tract. If your child's tonsils swell with every cold, it may indicate that the tonsils' own immune function has weakened beyond a simple infection.

The Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective

In Korean medicine, this is explained as a lung-stomach heat (肺胃熱) constitution. When heat accumulates in the lungs and stomach, that heat rises to the throat and repeatedly irritates the tonsils. When external bacteria invade, tonsils already burdened with accumulated heat are more prone to inflammatory reactions. If the underlying cause is not addressed, the same pattern recurs with the next cold even after antibiotics relieve the symptoms.