Your tonsils are two small, lumpy pieces of tissue at the back of your throat, one on each side. If you open your mouth wide and look in a mirror, you might be able to see them. They're part of your body's defense system, helping to catch germs that try to enter through your mouth and nose.

Sometimes tonsils can become infected and swell up, making it painful to swallow. This condition is called tonsillitis. When people get tonsillitis frequently, doctors sometimes recommend removing the tonsils in a surgery called a tonsillectomy. This used to be extremely common: your grandparents probably knew many kids who had their tonsils removed. Today doctors are more cautious about removing them, since tonsils do help fight infection.

Even after a tonsillectomy, people can stay healthy because their bodies have many other ways to fight germs.