When a child's tonsils become repeatedly infected with bacteria and viruses it makes them swell and become very painful.

Your child's tonsils may also be larger than average tonsils, which may cause a partial block in the airway. This can make it difficult for them to breathe through their nose, causing your child to breathe through their mouth and snore loudly when asleep. This can lead to a condition called sleep apnoea which causes your child to stops breathing for a couple of seconds while asleep and then starts again. This can severely disturb their sleep.