Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is an infection of your tonsils, two masses of tissue at the back of your throat. There are three types:

  • Acute tonsillitis. These symptoms usually last 3 or 4 days but can last up to 2 weeks.
  • Recurrent tonsillitis. This is when you get tonsillitis several times in a year.
  • Chronic tonsillitis. This is when you have a long-term tonsil infection.

 

Tonsillitis
Symptoms

The main symptoms of tonsillitis are inflamed and swollen tonsils, sometimes severe enough to make it hard to breathe through your mouth. Other symptoms include:

  • Throat pain or tenderness
  • Red tonsils
  • A white or yellow coating on your tonsils
  • Painful blisters or ulcers on your throat
  • Headache
  • Loss of appetite
  • Ear pain
  • Trouble swallowing
  • Swollen glands in your neck or jaw
  • Fever and chills
  • Bad breath
  • A scratchy or muffled voice
  • Stiff neck

 

Treatment
  • Your treatment will depend in part on what caused your illness.

Medication

  • If your tests find bacteria, you’ll get antibiotics. Your doctor might give you these drugs in a one-time injection or in pills that you’ll swallow for several days. You’ll start to feel better within 2 or 3 days, but it’s important to take all of your medication.

Home remedies

If you have a virus, antibiotics won't help, and your body will fight the infection on its own. In the meantime, you can try some home remedies:

  • Get lots of rest
  • Drink warm or very cold fluids to help with throat pain
  • Eat smooth foods, such as flavored gelatins, ice cream, and applesauce
  • Use a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier in your room
  • Gargle with warm salt water
  • Suck on lozenges with benzocaine or other medications to numb your throat
  • Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen

Tonsillectomy surgery

Tonsils are an important part of your immune system, so your doctor will try to help you keep them. But if your tonsillitis keeps coming back or won’t go away, or if swollen tonsils make it hard for you to breathe or eat, you might need to have your tonsils taken out. This surgery is called tonsillectomy.