Occasionally, the bleeding can be more severe, causing people to cough up blood. Seek immediate medical advice if this happens. You should be given an emergency contact number before you're discharged from hospital. Alternatively, you can call NHS 24's '' service. Home Illnesses and conditions Ears, nose and throat Tonsillitis. Tonsillitis See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About tonsillitis 2. Symptoms of tonsillitis 3.
Causes of tonsillitis 4. Treating tonsillitis. About tonsillitis Tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils. Tonsillitis is a common condition in children, teenagers and young adults.
The symptoms of tonsillitis include: a sore throat and pain when swallowing earache high temperature fever over 38C The tonsils The tonsils are two small glands that sit on either side of the throat. What causes tonsillitis? These types of infections spread easily, so it's important to try to avoid passing the infection on to others by: staying away from public places, such as work, school or nursery, until your GP says it's safe to return usually after the symptoms have passed coughing and sneezing into a tissue and disposing of the tissue washing hands before eating, after going to the toilet and, if possible, after coughing and sneezing Read more about the causes of tonsillitis.
Treating tonsillitis There's no specific treatment for tonsillitis, but you may be able to reduce the symptoms by: taking paracetamol or ibuprofen to help relieve pain drinking plenty of fluids getting plenty of rest If test results show that your tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial infection, a short course of oral antibiotics may be prescribed.
Chronic tonsillitis In most cases, tonsillitis gets better within a week. Surgery to remove the tonsils a tonsillectomy is usually only recommended if: you've had several severe episodes of tonsillitis over a long period of time repeated episodes are disrupting normal activities Read more about treating tonsillitis. Complications of tonsillitis Complications of tonsillitis are rare and usually only occur if it's caused by a bacterial infection.
Possible complications of tonsillitis include: a middle ear infection otitis media — where fluid between the eardrum and inner ear becomes infected by bacteria quinsy peritonsillar abscess — an abscess collection of pus that develops between one of the tonsils and the wall of the throat obstructive sleep apnoea OSA — where the walls of the throat relax during sleep, which causes breathing difficulties and poor sleep Other complications of tonsillitis are very rare and usually only occur if an underlying bacterial infection is left untreated.
They include: scarlet fever — a condition that causes a distinctive pink-red skin rash rheumatic fever — this causes widespread inflammation throughout the body, leading to symptoms such as joint pain, rashes and jerky body movements glomerulonephritis — an infection swelling of the filters in the kidneys that can cause vomiting and a loss of appetite.
Symptoms of tonsillitis The main symptom of tonsillitis is a sore throat. In some cases, the tonsils are coated or have white, pus-filled spots on them. Other common symptoms of tonsillitis include: high temperature fever over 38C Causes of tonsillitis Most cases of tonsillitis are caused by a viral infection. Viruses known to cause tonsillitis include: rhinoviruses — which cause the common cold the influenza virus parainfluenza virus — which causes laryngitis and croup enteroviruses — which cause hand, foot and mouth disease adenovirus — which is a common cause of diarrhoea the rubeola virus — which causes measles In rare cases, tonsillitis can also be caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes glandular fever.
Bacterial tonsillitis Bacterial tonsillitis can be caused by a number of different bacteria, but it's usually due to group A streptococcus bacteria. How tonsillitis is spread Tonsillitis itself isn't contagious, but the infections that cause it are. Treating tonsillitis There's no specific treatment for tonsillitis and most cases get better within a week without treatment.
Self-help Over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen , can help relieve painful symptoms such as a sore throat. Children under 16 years of age shouldn't be given aspirin. Antibiotics Antibiotics may not be prescribed, even if tests confirm your tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial infection. The two main reasons for this are: in most cases, antibiotics won't speed up the recovery, but they can cause unpleasant side effects, such as stomach pain and feeling sick the more an antibiotic is used to treat a non-serious infection, the greater the chance it won't be effective in treating more serious infections; this is known as antibiotic resistance However, exceptions are usually made if: symptoms are severe symptoms show no sign of easing you or your child has a weakened immune system In these circumstances, a day course of penicillin is usually recommended.
Surgery Surgery to remove the tonsils is known as a tonsillectomy. You must have: a sore throat caused by tonsillitis episodes of sore throat that are disabling and stop you functioning normally seven or more well-documented, clinically significant, adequately treated sore throats in the preceding year or five or more such episodes in each of the preceding two years or three or more such episodes in each of the preceding three years Tonsillectomies are carried out under general anaesthetic , which means you'll be asleep during the procedure.
The operation can be carried out in a number of ways, as described below. Adults can get tonsillitis, but it is not very common. Is tonsillitis contagious? What are the symptoms of tonsillitis? The symptoms of tonsillitis include A sore throat , which may be severe Red, swollen tonsils Trouble swallowing A white or yellow coating on the tonsils Swollen glands in the neck Fever Bad breath When does my child need to see a health care provider for tonsillitis?
You should call your health care provider if your child Has a sore throat for more than two days Has trouble or pain when swallowing Feels very sick or very weak You should get emergency care right away if your child Has trouble breathing Starts drooling Has a lot of trouble swallowing How is tonsillitis diagnosed? What are the treatments for tonsillitis? Make sure that your child Gets a lot of rest Drinks plenty of fluids Tries eating soft foods if it hurts to swallow Tries eating warm liquids or cold foods like popsicles to soothe the throat Isn't around cigarette smoke or do anything else that could irritate the throat Sleeps in a room with a humidifier Gargles with saltwater Sucks on a lozenge but do not give them to children under four; they can choke on them Takes an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen.
Children and teenagers should not take aspirin. In some cases, your child may need a tonsillectomy. What is a tonsillectomy and why might my child need one? A tonsillectomy is surgery to remove the tonsils. Your child might need it if he or she Keeps getting tonsillitis Has bacterial tonsillitis that does not get better with antibiotics Has tonsils are too big, and are causing trouble breathing or swallowing Your child usually gets the surgery and goes home later that day.
Start Here. Treatments and Therapies. Related Issues. Also in Spanish. Clinical Trials. If you're on antibiotics, it's usually OK to return to school 24 hours after you start taking them if your fever is gone and you feel better.
If you're still feeling weak, tired, or achy, it may be best to stay home for another day or two. Tonsillitis is contagious. This means you can get it from someone else who has it.
Sneezing and coughing can pass the tonsillitis-causing virus or bacteria from one person to the next. Call your doctor right away if your condition gets worse; for example, if you have a hard time breathing or swallowing.
Also talk to your doctor if your fever comes back or if you're not feeling better in a couple of days. Reviewed by: Steven M. Andreoli, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Tonsillitis? What Causes Tonsillitis? 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.
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