Tonsillitis is a very common childhood ailment and is caused by the inflammation of the tonsils.It occurs when the tonsils get inflamed. Either bacteria or viruses can cause this inflammation. Read more about its causes symptons and treatment.
The tonsils
Tonsillitis is a very common childhood
ailment and is caused by the inflammation of the tonsils. So what are the
tonsils? The tonsils are masses of lymph tissue located on the right and
left at the back of the throat. Scientists are still trying to pin down
the exact function of the tonsils, but they surmise that the tonsils act
as a filter and prevent the spread of infections in the throat, mouth and
sinuses from spreading to other parts of the body. Studies also show that
the tonsils produce antibodies or cells that fight disease.
The causes
As mentioned earlier, tonsillitis
occurs when the tonsils get inflamed. Either bacteria or viruses can cause
this inflammation. Younger children tend to be afflicted by viral tonsillitis,
while older children and adults are more prone to bacterial infection.
Tonsillitis can also sometimes be an offshoot of more serious illnesses
like diphtheria, scarlet fever and infectious mononucleosis.
Some children seem to be more prone
to developing tonsillitis than others. They may have tonsillitis attacks
as often as five or six times a year. Recurring tonsillitis may result
in the enlargement of the tonsils, a condition labelled as chronic tonsillitis.
In such a case, the tonsils remain infected despite antibiotic treatment.
The tonsils can also trap food particles in small infoldings called crypts,
which only results in prolonging the infection.
The symptoms
Mild to severe throat pain
Swollen lymph glands on either side
of the neck or jaw
Ear ache
Difficulty in swallowing
Chills and fever
Headache
The treatment
The treatment comprises a combination
of steps to relieve the symptoms and medication to attack the cause.
When it comes to medication, it has
been found that antibiotics are only effective in treating tonsillitis
if the cause is bacterial. In the case of viral infections, antibiotics
may actually aggravate the condition. Hence, the treatment of viral tonsillitis
is usually restricted to relieving the symptoms. A throat culture helps
to pinpoint whether the cause is bacterial or viral.
Home care: In addition to
the medication prescribed by your doctor, there are a few simple things
you can do at home to help relieve your child's discomfort.
Make your child gargle with a solution
of 1/4 teaspoon salt dissolved in four ounces of warm water. Give him plenty
of warm drinks like soup or tea with honey. (Honey should be avoided for
children below the age of one year). His diet should consist of foods that
are soft, easy to swallow and which are cold like juices, ice cream, etc.
Avoid spicy food. If your child is over five years old, you can give him
a lozenge to suck. Ensure that you or any other person does not smoke in
his room.
If the infection is very severe,
your child may need to be hospitalized as his inability to swallow may
lead to dehydration.
A tonsillectomy
In the past, it was very common for
doctors to remove a child's tonsils if he was prone to attacks of tonsillitis.
Tonsillectomy is the name given to the surgical procedure for the removal
of the tonsils. A tonsillectomy should be the last resort in cases of chronic
tonsillitis and parents will have to leave it to the discretion of the
doctor. However, in some cases, a tonsillectomy becomes a necessity. Sometimes,
the tonsils become so enlarged that they can cause difficulty in breathing
and obstructive sleep apnea. In such cases, tonsillectomy is the only option.
A tonsillectomy is performed under
general anaesthesia in a hospital and is often an out-patient procedure.
The tonsil is surrounded by a capsule of tissue. During the operation,
the surgeon removes the tonsil by dissecting between this capsule and the
adjacent throat tissue. The site where the tonsils were taken out heals
on its own. Research has shown that removal of the tonsils does not affect
the body's immune system. After the operation, the patient usually has
a very sore throat, but the doctor will put him on pain-killers and antibiotics
that will help relieve the symptoms.
Name:
Dr Sonia S V
Country: India
As an ENT Specialist and mother of a 4 yr old I feel tonsillar infection is something every parent should be aware of. How do you take a decision if your ENT Doctor recommends surgery for your child. What are the home remedies?Every parent should be aware of the answer to these questions. You may visit my website for ENT related information such as on tonsillectomy, tonsillitis
http://drsoniasv.webs. com
http://my .opera.com/son iasv
Name:
Josh
Country: U.S.A.
i have had tonsilitus 5 times in the a year and a half. first time i had it, my throat was covered in yellow spots and had a 103 temperature.i took amoxicillian for 10 days and it did not work. i had to take clarythrimycin for ten additional days. other times i took the z-pack zythromycin, used it 3 times works everytime. this time the doctor gave me pennicillan, i will see if it works.
Name:
Lucy
Country: United Kingdom
i have had tonsilitus a lot in the past. i am now 35 but suffered badly with it until i was 25. i had my tonsils out when i was 6 years old, but the operation was a lot different back then and they partly grew back, now i believe they can fully be taken out. however my 3 year is now poorly with the same thing, from my experience you do need to get it properly diagnosed by a doctor first. it can vary from person to person the amount of pain and how quickly you get over it. here are some symptoms relievers:
1) drink plenty of water (avoid acid fruit juice or water it down, this can be more painful)
2)if you have a shower have one or sit in the room when it gets steamy with your baby to alleviate the pain and open the airways.
3)sloppy foods when you are able to eat, porridge, soup, pasta, noodles, milk, yoghurt.
4) rest rest rest!
5)keep your temp regulated with air con/ windows open but keep warm as well with a duvet
6)humidifyer's are great!
7) chewing gum if you are old enough, minty, this keeps the saliva from drying out your throat...nice
8) note pad and pen...don't talk this will irritate it more.
9) loose clothing for babies too, they can overheat very quickly.
10) ice pops, icecream, ice cubes
11) lots of love and understanding
12) it will all be better soon and if it continues call the doctor!
get well where ever you are! xx
Name:
lesa
Country: United Kingdom
i have tonsilitus its really horrible ive had it sine monday i felt sick dizzy and tired but yet couldnt sleep i have been feelin reli hot to i have also cum up in a rash ov spots that has cum as a reaction from tonsilutes i have also been told i might have gladilitus . not sure on what is is but soon hope something can be sorted . my advice is to drink loads ov fluids and keep on garglin salt water and get much rest as can remember if in so much pain always get to doctors .
Name:
raju
Country: India
i (20yr) have chronic tonsillitis from last 2 years,i was take antibiotics cefixime of 10 days ,but yet not well the tonsils stonse still there and i am very unhappy in my life yet i think for tonsillectomy
Name:
Bel
Country: United Kingdom
i have been suffering from tonsilitis since last thursday. it started as a bit of a sore throat and a raised lump on the right side of my neck, which i could feel by touching the skin. i wasn't in too much pain on the thursday, however by friday afternoon it was hurting to swallow. by friday night, i was starting to feel quite sore and my tonsils were very very red. i pushed on, thinking i just had a cold. but i had no runny nose or cough!
by saturday, i was getting hot flushes and was wearing a scarf around my neck and coat because i felt cold (even though it's not that cold at the moment!) on saturday evening i could hardly swallow without wincing and when i slept, i woke up absolutely drenched in sweat having had high temperatures followed by shivering. by sunday, i was really in immense pain and all i wanted to do was sleep. i didn't eat anything at all on sunday. monday morning, i woke up absoutely drenched in sweat - it had a strange odour, not unlike urine! again, i was shivering during the night after having high temperatures. i contacted the doctor on monday and was presribed penicillin. i started taking it on monday night and din't feel any immediate relief from my symptoms until 6pm tues night, where i felt able to eat my first proper meal. today i feel a bit rough around the edges and my throat is still sore, but i need to trust the penicillin will work.
my advice: if you have tonsilitis, you need to completely rest and make sure you drink loads of fruit juices, cordials and water (even if you cannot eat). you could try eating soft foods like bananas or soup. see your doctor about tonsilitis - some forms are bacterial and some forms are viral. if you have suspected bacterial tonsilitis, you will respond well to antibiotics such as penicillin. if not, you unfortunately won't.
i am aware that some people are allergic to penicillin but there are alternatives your doctor can give. this is the first time i have used penicillin at 26 and luckily it turns out that i am not allergic! other advice: take ibuprofen or paracetemol as directed to help lower your temperature and temporarily relieve your throat pain until the tonsils recover.
Name:
hana
Country: Philippines
i always had a white spot at the back of my throat,it swelling i took my antibiotic w/c is cefalexine 500 for two weeks,after few weeks i had it again...so i decided to take another set but still...but now it cause a bad smell,i dont have cavity either it bothers me a lot,the first doctors said i had aweak lungs...what is this problem for my health?
Name:
RAHF OMAR
Country: Libya
my daughter 3years suffer from repeated attacks of acute tonsillitis nearly once in every month.we have got repeat tonsillitis high temp, hard to swallow after took medication antibiotic syrup (augmantin) recovery and infection recurrent and more severe i want the treatment of repeated acute infection
Name:
RAHF OMAR
Country: Libya
my daughter 3years suffer from reapt tonsillitis more than 5 times dail high temp hard to swallow after took medication antibiotic syrup augmantin recovery and i fection recurrent and more severe i want the treatment of repeated acute infection
Name:
sally
Country: U.S.A.
my sister has tonsillitis. she had a temp of 104. they took out her tonsills. and she almost died.
Name:
Lindza
Country: South Africa
my 11 months old boy has been diagnosed with tonsilitis, had high fever (around 39 degree. they gave him erythromycin but seemed to have not worked the whole day as the temp was still high, took him to onother doc, where they placed him on a drip to take intraveenoulsy and this time they gave him augmentin antibiotics, seemed to have worked bcos we were out of the hospital in 2 days. i also guess was bacterial rather than viral infection as viral infection cannot be easily treated with antibiotics.
Name:
katie
Country: United Kingdom
i have tonsilitis and when i move my mouth or try to eat or drink anything it really hurts and i get ded dizey and sick . all the back of my mouth is red.
Name:
lynsi
Country: United Kingdom
i am 26 and have had tonsilitis 4 times so far this year the most recent being 2 weeks ago!, went to the doctor who pesrcibed penicillin which works but it keeps coming back!. the 3rd time i had it the doctor referred me to hospital to have a tonsillectomy as he says i shouldn't be getting tonsilitis this many times at 26! i am now having them out on friday(28th nov) overnight stay then 2 weeks off work to recover (as i work with children the risk off infection is to great hence it being 2weeks!)
(just hope i feel well enough to finish my xmas shopping!)
Name:
ravi
Country: India
one of my friend who is doctor can cure tonsillitis comletely send me ur detailed case history to my mail id to send him he may suggest some good medicines my mail id (shankar.ravi11@yahocom)
Name:
roman
Country: Spain
oink.
Name:
state industries water heaters
Country: Afghanistan
amazine site
thanks, webmaster.
Name:
cayleen
Country: U.S.A.
at the moment i also have tonsillitis
and i am 13 years of age. i woke up about 3 in the morning with a night sweat. i ended up throwing up several times. my tonsillis swelled up about 4 times their usual size. i spent an hour on the internet trying to figure out what i had. my results were that i have tonsillitis. during the time it took me to figure out that i had it the swelling severlly went down. my mother was going to take me to the er, but they seem to be healing. if any of you have any answers for me for what i should do please write me back i will cheak this site in the soon future
thank you for your time.
Name:
Adhie
Country: Philippines
hi! our child is only 10 months old, and she have a follicular tonsilitis with sypmtoms of high fever (39 degree celcius)for more than a day now. she's easily irritated. she eats food and drink milk much less as usual. she's taking antibiotic, and paracetamol. we also give her suppositories due to the high fever. and, due to hot weather, she just stay in our room with the aircon, on, all the time. is this ok? well, our doctor said' "t's fine". but, sometimes, i do hesitate. however, if we don't open the aircon, our baby sweats and cries a lot. please advice. thanks!
Name:
RCA
Country: Peru
a lot of questions are being written here. i wanna see the answers. i hope we have a good doctor here who could just answer everything. thanks.
Name:
Emily
Country: United Kingdom
i,ve got tonsilitis at the moment and i hear that eating cherries can help get rid of or help get rid of it.
Name:
sheri
Country: United Kingdom
i have had tonsilitis many times i am 38 and i have had something simular to this but not sure what i have got my symtoms were stiff neck headaches because i did not feel right i checked the back of my throat and i saw a raised lump with 2 small yellow spots on but i was in no pain then i had a little temparture throat closed up a little dry throat found it a little hard to swallow but burning pain somewhat and it has been three weeks now and the lump on the back of my throat has not changed. i am a singer and it has affected my work and it is worrying me as i can not practice singing for the fear of causing more illness or damage to my throat. my doctor asked me if i am suffering from any stress he gave me pencillin and the another one after a week called something begining with e both did not get rid of what i have. and now he thinks i have acid coming from my stomach and has give me other tablets for that. after reading all your comments and reseaching and seeing my doc i am not convinced of what i have or how to cure it. i have also had gum diease which i think could of affected it. all i would like is a cure and a preventive especially as i am prone to it.
Name:
Guiri
Country: Slovakia
hi there!!!this looks like a club of criples!!well, i feel with all of you, guys since i have been battling this awful stuff for 4 days now and it really does not seem to haev improved at all.when i got to my gp i had some white pus on my left tonsill, no pain, no fever. today, i have spotted that pus have dissapeared on one side but some new has appeared on the back side. morover, it hurts soooo much and my stomach is completely up-side-down.i better don't complain to my husband anymore, cos he is probably fed up with my cries, so at least i write here. btw, this is my 3rd tonsillities in 6 weeks and i had hardly had it before. i guess there must be something behind.
Name:
Teresa
Country: Canada
hi my daughter is 4 1/2 years old and has tonsillitis and adenoisa removed, she has been having all symptoms for 6 months or so been to a specilest 5 times and now we are on a list of pationts to get surgery done the dr. said to us it was going to take 6 to 8 months to get it done i almost fell off my chair so durring that time we have to bare with it as i am typing my daughter is on some anibiotics cause her throat was getting a vary bad oder comming from it , i was told by my mother inlaw that if you smell a bad smelly oder come from her mouth that means she has a infectionhe son my husban had tonsillitis when he was 5 years old and they were bad for months they got so bad they were size of galf balls and were leaking through his nose and in lots of pain thank god he got them out, what im trying to say here is they the dr.s will try everything to see if they will go away then after a few months or so then they will think about taking them out and only then, i feel bad for thoese who go through this pain touch wood i havent had anything like this happen to me nothing removed from this body , now that i have said that dang lol bye.
Name:
lewis
Country: United Kingdom
i dont know if i have tonsilitis but my throat kills and swallowing is terrible and i have real bad headaches and abdominal pains. i havnt seen my tonsils yet though.
Name:
lewis
Country: United Kingdom
i dont know if i have tonsilitis but my throat kills and swallowing is terrible and i have real bad headaches and abdominal pains. i havnt seen my tonsils yet though.
