How is tonsillitis spread




















Your doctor may use a soft cotton swab to gently collect a sample from your tonsils and the back of your throat for testing. It's important for your doctor to know if bacteria are causing the infection. If you have strep throat, you'll need treatment with antibiotics to kill the bacteria. This will help you feel better and prevent other problems that can come from untreated strep throat. If your doctor prescribes antibiotics, be sure to follow the directions carefully.

Finish taking all the medicine even if your symptoms go away and you feel better, or the infection could come back. If a strep test comes back negative, it's probably a virus causing the tonsillitis and antibiotics won't help.

Just like with a cold also caused by a virus , you'll have to take it easy for several days and let the virus run its course. Rarely, if someone gets tonsillitis a lot, the doctor or an otolaryngologist pronounced: oh-toe-lar-un-GA-luh-jist, a doctor who specializes in ear, nose, and throat problems may recommend a tonsillectomy pronounced: tahn-suh-LEK-tuh-mee.

This is a surgery to remove the tonsils. Tonsillectomy used to be a common procedure, but now experts recommend watching and waiting because large tonsils often shrink on their own over time.

Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. You can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve any pain or discomfort. Don't take aspirin or other products that contain aspirin, though, because these may put you at risk of developing Reye syndrome, an illness that can have serious complications. Avoid smoking or anything that will irritate your throat.

It's best to drink lots of liquids. You may prefer softer foods, like applesauce, flavored gelatin, or ice cream. Tonsillar hypertrophy is another term for enlarged tonsils. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M. Read on to learn more about tonsillitis. What are the symptoms of tonsillitis? Tips to avoid spreading tonsillitis. How to treat tonsillitis? When to seek help.

The takeaway. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. Tonsillitis in Adults: What to Expect. Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, D.

Home Remedies for Tonsillitis. Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M. Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M. What to Know About Tonsil Cysts.

Medically reviewed by Kevin Martinez, M. You can become infected by breathing in the contaminated droplets. This is known as direct contact. You can also become infected if you touch a surface or object that the droplets have landed on and then touch your face. This is known as indirect contact.

There's no specific treatment for tonsillitis and most cases get better within a week without treatment. While waiting for the infection to clear up, there are a number of things you can do to help relieve your symptoms see below. If your child has tonsillitis, make sure they have plenty to eat and drink, even if they find it painful to swallow. Being hungry and dehydrated can make other symptoms, such as headaches and tiredness, worse.

Over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen , can help relieve painful symptoms such as a sore throat. If treating your children with painkillers, it's important to use the correct type and dosage.

Younger children only need small dosages. Your pharmacist can advise you about this. Over-the-counter treatments that can soothe a sore throat, such as lozenges and oral sprays, are also available. Some people find that gargling with a mild antiseptic solution can also relieve a sore throat. Alternatively, you could try gargling with warm, salty water. Mix half a teaspoon of salt 2.

It's important not to swallow the water, so this method may not be suitable for younger children. 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 these circumstances, a day course of penicillin is usually recommended.

If you or your child is known to be allergic to penicillin, an alternative antibiotic, such as erythromycin, can be used. Hospital treatment may be required for particularly severe or persistent cases of bacterial tonsillitis that don't respond to oral antibiotics.

In these cases, intravenous antibiotics given directly into a vein may be needed. Antibiotics sometimes cause mild side effects, such as an upset stomach, diarrhoea or a rash. For children with mild sore throats, watchful waiting is recommended rather than a tonsillectomy. A tonsillectomy is only considered for a recurrent sore throat if certain criteria are met.

You must have:. Tonsillectomies are carried out under general anaesthetic , which means you'll be asleep during the procedure. Your mouth will be held open to allow the surgeon to see your tonsils and no cuts will be made in your skin. Each of these techniques is relatively similar in terms of safety, results and recovery, so the type of surgery used will depend on the expertise and training of the surgeon.

After surgery, it's likely you'll experience some pain at the site of the operation. This can last for up to a week. Painkillers can help to relieve the pain. Children who have had a tonsillectomy should be kept off school for two weeks. This is to reduce their risk of picking up an infection from another child that will make them feel more uncomfortable.

Swallowing will probably be difficult after having a tonsillectomy. However, it's important to eat solid foods, because it will help your throat to heal more quickly. Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid acidic drinks, such as orange juice, because they'll sting.

Ensuring good oral hygiene by regularly brushing your teeth and using mouthwash can help prevent infection in the mouth. The pain usually gets worse during the first week after having a tonsillectomy, before gradually improving during the second week.

Earache is common with tonsillectomies, but isn't a cause for concern. Bleeding at the site where the tonsils were removed is a fairly common complication of a tonsillectomy.

This can occur during the first 24 hours following surgery or up to 10 days afterwards. It's estimated that around 1 in children and 1 in 30 adults will experience post-operative bleeding after having a tonsillectomy. Minor bleeding isn't usually a cause for concern, because in most cases it resolves by itself.

Gargling with cold water can often help stem the bleeding, because the cold helps to contract the blood vessels. 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.



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