Did tonsillitis occur to you once in a life or keep coming back? For this, you must know it is an infection of your tonsils, two masses of tissue at the back of your throat. It is usually familiar to children.
Your tonsils act as filters, trapping germs that could otherwise enter your airways and cause infection. They also make antibodies to fight infection. Thus, an essential part of your immune system. But sometimes, they get overwhelmed by bacteria or viruses. It can make them swollen and inflamed. A common cause is Streptococcus (bacteria), adenoviruses, influenza, herpes simplex virus, etc.
Three types of tonsillitis are as follow:
Acute tonsillitis: It’s symptoms usually last 3-4 days but can last up to 2 weeks.
Recurrent tonsillitis: This is when you get tonsillitis several times in a year.
Chronic tonsillitis: It is when you have a long-term tonsil infection.
Its main symptoms include inflamed and swollen tonsils, sometimes severe enough to make it hard to breathe. Others include throat pain or tenderness, a white or yellow coating on your tonsils, painful ulcers on your throat, swollen gland in neck jaw, etc. There can be some other symptoms like headache, ear pain, loss of appetite, fever and chills, bad breath, etc.
Its diagnosis includes a physical exam. The doctor will look at your tonsils by wide opening your mouth to see if they’re red or swollen or have pus on them. He’ll also check for a fever and might look into your ears and nose for any signs of infection. The physical examination is most important while diagnosing tonsillitis. A throat swab or a blood test is required to know the cause.
In the case of a bacterial infection diagnosed, there could be risks of tonsillitis complications. It includes a collection of pus around your tonsils known as a peritonsillar abscess — further, middle ear infection and breathing problems such as obstructive sleep apnea.
A streptococcus infection, if not treated, may further aggravate the illness. It includes severe problems like rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, sinusitis, a kidney infection called glomerulonephritis.
The treatment depends on the part of the infection. If your test finds bacteria, you’ll get antibiotics. It’s essential to complete the course to get complete recovery from the source of infection. In case you don’t follow the instructions, the illness may get severe with time, and it will keep coming back.
In the case of a viral diagnosis, antibiotics can’t help. Your body has to fight the infection on its own. In the meantime, you can try some home remedies such as take complete rest, rinse with salt water, drink warm or very cold fluids to relieve throat pain. Moreover, take a soft diet, such as flavored gelatin or ice cream, use a cool-mist vaporizer in your room, suck on lozenges with benzocaine or other medications to ease your throat, etc.
If your tonsillitis keeps coming back and not ready to go away, or makes it hard on you to breathe or eat, ultimately you have to get them removed. This surgery is called tonsillectomy. Within an hour, your doctor can remove the tonsils using a sharp tool called scalpel. Other options include a laser, radio waves, ultrasonic energy, or electrocautery to remove enlarged tonsils.
Good hygiene can help you best to prevent tonsillitis. That means washing your hands often, not sharing your personal-use items with someone such as a toothbrush, razor, etc. It’s better to stay away from someone who has a sore throat or tonsillitis as there are chances to catch the infection in no time.
Until Next time,
Team Doctor ASKY!