How many tonsillitis

Paracetamol can help and the person should rest. Most children with tonsillitis do not feel well and it hurts them to swallow. Try cool drinks cold drinks can hurt , ice blocks and ice cream. Usually, they pick up quickly when the infection has gone. For tonsillitis that is caused by bacteria, antibiotics are prescribed. If attacks of tonsillitis become frequent and severe, or cause complications, your doctor might suggest an operation, known as tonsillectomy. Reasons for tonsillectomy can include:.

Before doing a tonsillectomy, your doctor will give you a complete physical check-up. The tonsil pad has a large blood supply, and special note will be taken whether you have any abnormal bleeding tendencies. Your doctor will check to see if your tonsils are actively inflamed and, if so, will prescribe antibiotics for a few weeks to control the infection before the surgery. Tonsillectomy is mainly done in children to treat snoring, obstructive sleep apnoea or frequent tonsillitis.

If symptoms are mild, a wait and see approach is recommended as problems often get better as children get older. Safer Care Victoria has developed a Making a decision about tonsillectomy fact sheet to support parents in making an informed decision about tonsillectomy for their child together with their doctor.

A tonsillectomy is performed under general anaesthesia. The glandular tissue is contained inside a skin lining which the surgeon cuts using scalpel, scissors, laser or an electric current electrocautery. The surgeon then removes the tonsils. Each tonsil pad has a substantial blood supply, so electrocautery is often used to fuse the blood vessels and reduce the risk of haemorrhage. Safer Care Victoria has developed a number of videos where parents share their stories about caring for their child before, on the day of and after tonsil surgery.

Be guided by your doctor about how to care for yourself at home, but general suggestions include:. However, it will stop the tonsillitis and allow you to swallow more easily. You will probably lose your bad breath, if that was a problem. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. People are less sensitive to smells the older they get, and women tend to have a more acute sense of smell than men.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo BPPV is a condition characterised by episodes of sudden and severe vertigo. Croup is a viral infection of the throat and windpipe that causes noisy breathing, a hoarse voice and a harsh, barking cough. Deafness is caused by many different events including injury, disease and genetic defects.

Dizziness is generally treatable and rarely indicates serious brain disease. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. This is called quinsy. Page last reviewed: 10 February Next review due: 10 February Check if you have tonsillitis Tonsillitis can feel like a bad cold or flu.

The main symptoms in children and adults are: a sore throat problems swallowing a high temperature of 38C or above coughing a headache feeling sick earache feeling tired Sometimes the symptoms can be more severe and include: swollen, painful glands in your neck feels like a lump on the side of your neck white pus-filled spots on your tonsils bad breath What tonsils with pus-filled spots can look like Tonsils with pus-filled spots at the back of the throat.

Mix half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water and stir until it has dissolved. Gargle with the salty water do not swallow it , then spit it out. Repeat as often as you like. The tonsils combat bacteria and viruses that enter your body through your mouth and nose. However, tonsils are also vulnerable to infection from these invaders.

Tonsillitis can be caused by a virus, such as the common cold , or by a bacterial infection, such as strep throat. Viruses are the most common cause of tonsillitis. The viruses that cause the common cold are often the source of tonsillitis, but other viruses can also cause it. These include:. Since the Epstein-Barr virus can cause both mononucleosis and tonsillitis, sometimes people with mono will develop tonsillitis as a secondary infection.

If you have viral tonsillitis, your symptoms may include coughing or a stuffy nose. Around 15 to 30 percent of tonsillitis cases result from bacteria. Your doctor can prescribe antibiotics to treat bacterial tonsillitis, though they may not be necessary. Besides antibiotics, treatment is the same for most cases of viral and bacterial tonsillitis. Diagnosis is based on a physical examination of your throat. Your doctor may also take a throat culture by gently swabbing the back of your throat.

The culture will be sent to a laboratory to identify the cause of your throat infection. Your doctor may also take a sample of your blood for a complete blood count. This test can show whether your infection is viral or bacterial, which may affect your treatment options. If a person becomes dehydrated due to tonsillitis, they may need intravenous fluids.

Pain medicines to relieve the sore throat can also help while the throat is healing. Surgery to remove the tonsils is called a tonsillectomy. The surgery can also relieve breathing problems or trouble swallowing that can result from tonsillitis. A tonsillectomy may reduce the number of throat infections in children during the first year after surgery, according to a study.

However, a study found that adults who had their tonsils removed as children had increased risks of respiratory and infectious diseases long term. Having a tonsillectomy may reduce your overall risk of developing strep throat. You can still get strep throat and other throat infections after your tonsils are removed, though. You should be able to go home the same day as your surgery, but it will take 1 to 2 weeks to fully recover.

Learn what to do before and after getting a tonsillectomy. If a bacterial infection caused your tonsillitis, your doctor can prescribe antibiotics to fight the infection. Antibiotics may help your symptoms go away slightly faster. However, they increase the risk of antibiotic resistance and may have other side effects , like an upset stomach.

Antibiotics are more necessary for people at risk of complications from tonsillitis. Your doctor may want you to schedule a follow-up visit to ensure that the medication was effective. Use throat sprays rather than lozenges for young children, and always check with your doctor before giving children medications.

Find out more ways to care for tonsillitis at home. Tonsillitis is most common in children because they come into close contact with others every day at school and play, exposing them to a variety of viruses and bacteria. However, adults can get tonsillitis too. Frequent exposure to people increases the risk of encountering someone with the infection.

As a result, taking public transportation or doing other activities alongside many people may increase your chance of being exposed to tonsillitis. Symptoms of tonsillitis and treatments are similar for both adults and kids. Learn what to do if you develop tonsillitis as an adult. A number of different bacteria or viruses can cause tonsillitis, including group A streptococcus bacteria. This same bacteria is the only cause of strep throat. Both conditions are contagious, so you should try to stay away from other people if you think you have either one.

Your doctor can use the same tests to diagnose both conditions. Treatments for bacterial tonsillitis and strep throat are also similar. Learn more about the differences between tonsillitis and strep throat.