Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Know what the symptoms are
• Method 2 of 3: See your doctor
• Method 3 of 3: Assess your risk
• Tips
• Warnings

Tonsillitis is the inflammation or swelling of the tonsils, two oval-shaped tissues located in the back of the throat. Most infections are caused by a common virus, but bacterial infections can also cause tonsillitis. The treatment of tonsillitis depends on the cause, so a quick and accurate diagnosis is important for recovery. Knowing your symptoms and your personal risk factors can help you determine if you have tonsillitis and be cured.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Know what the symptoms are

1. Watch for physical symptoms. Tonsillitis has a number of physical symptoms that resemble the symptoms of a common cold or sore throat. If you notice any of the following, you could have tonsillitis:
   • Sore throat that lasts for more than 48 hours. This is the main symptom of tonsillitis and one of the first symptoms you will notice.
   • Difficulty swallowing
   • Earache
   • Headache
   • Sensitive jaw and neck
   • A stiff neck
2. Know what the symptoms are in children. Tonsillitis is very common in children. If it is not about yourself but you want to know if a child has tonsillitis, remember that children experience symptoms differently and the symptoms look different in children.
   • Children are more likely to experience nausea and stomach pain when they have tonsillitis.
   • If it is a child who is too young to tell you how it feels, you may notice the child is drooling, refusing to eat, and crying unusually.
3. Check the tonsils for swelling and redness. Have a friend or family member check your tonsils for the symptoms of tonsillitis. You can also check this yourself if it is a young child who you suspect has tonsillitis.
   • Gently place the handle of a spoon on the sick person's tongue and have him or her say "aaaa" while shining a light in the back of the throat.
   • In tonsillitis, the tonsils are bright red and swollen. They can have white or yellow spots or a coating.
4. Take your temperature. Fever is one of the first symptoms of tonsillitis. Take your temperature to see if you have a fever.
   • You can buy a thermometer at most drug stores. In general, you only need to hold the tip of the thermometer under your tongue for about a minute before you can accurately read your body temperature.
   • Always use a digital thermometer instead of a mercury thermometer when taking a child's temperature. If the child is under three years old, you may need to insert the thermometer into the anus to get an accurate temperature. Children this age probably cannot hold a thermometer in their mouth yet.
   • A normal body temperature is between 36 and 37 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is higher than that, then there is an elevation or a fever.

Method 2 of 3: See your doctor

1. Make an appointment with the doctor. If you think you have tonsillitis, you may need special medication or even have surgery to have your tonsils removed. Only your doctor can tell you with certainty and make an official diagnosis. Make an appointment with your doctor or an ENT specialist to have your condition assessed. If your child has symptoms of tonsillitis, make an appointment with their pediatrician or primary care physician as soon as possible.
2. Prepare for your appointment. Your doctor will likely want to ask you some questions and will expect you to have questions of your own, so be prepared.
   • Know roughly when your symptoms started, whether over-the-counter medications have reduced symptoms, whether you've ever had tonsillitis or strep throat caused by the streptococcal bacteria, and whether the symptoms make you sleep poorly. These are things your doctor will want to know in order to make a diagnosis.
   • Ask your doctor about the best treatment, how long it will take to get the results of the tests, and when you can resume your normal daily activities.
3. Get tested by the doctor. Your doctor will perform several tests to determine if you have tonsillitis.
   • Your doctor will first perform a physical exam. He will look inside your throat, ears, and nose, listen to your breathing with a stethoscope, feel your neck to look for swelling, and check if your spleen is enlarged. This is a sign of mononucleosis, which also causes the tonsils to swell.
   • Your doctor will likely perform a throat swab. He will rub the back of your throat with a sterile cotton swab to check for bacteria associated with tonsillitis. Some hospitals have equipment that will get you a result in minutes, while in others you may have to wait 24 to 48 hours.
   • Your doctor can request a complete blood count. This allows your doctor to see how many blood cells you have of each type, showing which blood cells you have enough and which types you are short of. This can show whether the infection is caused by a bacteria or a virus. Typically, this test is only performed if the throat swab has a negative result and the doctor wants to determine the exact cause of your tonsillitis.
4. Treat your tonsillitis. Depending on the cause and severity of your tonsillitis, your doctor will recommend different treatments.
   • If a virus is the cause, it is recommended to treat the disease at home. You can expect to be better within 7 to 10 days. The treatment is about the same as when you have a cold. You need to rest, drink plenty of liquids (especially warm liquids), humidify the air and suck on pastilles, popsicles and other foods that cool your throat.
   • If it is a bacterial infection, your doctor will likely prescribe a course of antibiotics. Make sure to take all medications as instructed. If you don't, the infection may get worse or may not be cured.
   • If you regularly have tonsillitis, surgical removal of the tonsils may be an option. Usually this can be done within a day, so you can go home the same day.

Method 3 of 3: Assess your risk

1. Understand that tonsillitis is very contagious. The germs that cause bacterial and viral tonsillitis are very contagious. You may have a higher risk of tonsillitis under certain circumstances.
   • If you have shared food and drinks with others, for example at a party or other gathering, you could easily have become infected. This increases your risk and increases the likelihood that the symptoms you are experiencing now are caused by tonsillitis.
   • A stuffy nose, especially a blockage bad enough that you need to breathe through your mouth, increases your risk of getting tonsillitis. When an infected person breathes, coughs, and sneezes, droplets containing pathogens fly through the air. If you breathe through your mouth, you are more likely to get tonsillitis.
2. Know which factors increase your chances of getting tonsillitis. Anyone who still has tonsils is at risk of developing tonsillitis, but certain factors can increase that risk.
   • Smoking can increase your risk because it makes you breathe through your mouth more often. In addition, your body is less able to fight disease when you smoke.
   • Excessive alcohol consumption weakens the immune system so that you get sick more quickly. When people drink alcohol, they are often more likely to share their drinks with each other. This way you can get infected.
   • Any condition that weakens the immune system puts you at an increased risk. Examples are HIV / AIDS and diabetes.
   • You may be at an increased risk of tonsillitis if you have recently had an organ transplant or chemotherapy.
3. Watch for tonsillitis in children. You can get tonsillitis at any age, but it's more common in children than adults. You may be at greater risk if you work with young children.
   • Tonsillitis is most common in infants through the mid-teens. One of the reasons for this is that school-age children are close to each other and germs are transferred so quickly.
   • If you work in a kindergarten, elementary school or teach at the bottom of a high school, you are at an increased risk of tonsillitis. Wash your hands regularly during an epidemic and avoid contact with all people with tonsillitis for 24 hours.

Tips

• Your doctor will give you antibiotics if they determine that you have a bacterial infection. Take the antibiotics as directed, even after your symptoms have gotten better.
• Gargling with warm saline can help soothe a sore throat.
• Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen can temporarily relieve your symptoms. However, if it is a child who has tonsillitis, then you should not give aspirin. This can cause Reye's syndrome in children who are recovering from an infection. This is a rare but serious and sometimes life-threatening condition.
• Drink cold liquids and chew on popsicles, pastilles or ice cubes to soothe a sore throat.
• Drink warm, bland liquids such as mild tea to soothe the throat.

Warnings

• Get medical help right away if you have difficulty breathing, drool or have a fever with a body temperature above 38 ° C. This could indicate a more serious condition than tonsillitis.