Tonsillitis how long

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. 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 The same tests used to diagnose tonsillitis can accurately diagnose strep throat.

Therefore, you will not need two separate treatments for the two illnesses. If you suffer from chronic tonsillitis, you are at risk for developing obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA.

OSA occurs when your airways swell and you cannot draw in enough oxygen when you sleep. If left untreated, this can lead to several medical conditions, such as strokes, irritability, weight gain and memory impairment.

Another risk of having tonsillitis is the illness spreading to another part of your body. This is known as tonsillar cellulitis. Moreover, your infected tonsils can lead to a significant buildup of pus behind your tonsils. This is known as a peritonsillar abscess. If you develop this condition, you will need drainage and surgery. The vast majority of these cases are caused by strep bacteria.

Children between the ages of 5 and 15 are far more likely than any other age group to catch tonsillitis caused by bacteria. If your child is diagnosed with bacterial tonsillitis, ensure she takes her antibiotics exactly as directed and keep her home for the first 24 hours of antibiotic treatment. If you suspect you or a loved one is suffering from tonsillitis, a quick, accurate diagnosis is required before you can get effective tonsillitis relief.

Regardless of your diagnosis, we will work closely with you to develop a safe, effective, customized treatment plan for rapid relief from your tonsillitis symptoms. What Causes Tonsillitis? Do I Have Tonsillitis? In adults, the most common symptoms of tonsillitis include: Stiff neck Scratchy-sounding voice Fever Chills Earache Stomachache Headache Jaw and neck tenderness Red, swollen tonsils White or yellow spots on tonsils Halitosis Very sore throat Difficult, painful swallowing 3.

Do I Have Acute Tonsillitis? Do I Have Chronic Tonsillitis? Do I Have Recurrent Tonsillitis? When Should I See a Doctor? Is Tonsillitis Contagious? How Is Tonsillitis Spread? How Is Tonsillitis Diagnosed? How Is Tonsillitis Treated?

These remedies include: Getting plenty of rest Drinking lots of fluids Gargling with warm salt water every two hours Avoiding cigarette smoke Taking an NSAID to relieve pain and inflammation Using throat lozenges as directed Eating frozen foods Using a humidifier If you suffer from bacterial tonsillitis, antibiotics are the most common form of relief.

Tonsillitis is not contagious, but most of the infections that cause it are, for example, colds and flu. A doctor can usually tell it's tonsillitis by asking about your symptoms and looking at the back of your throat.

This is usually only the case if you have severe tonsillitis that keeps coming back. Tonsillitis is usually caused by a virus, such as a cold, but it can also be due to a bacterial infection such as strep throat. Sometimes you can get a pocket filled with pus abscess between your tonsils and the wall of your throat.

Symptoms usually go away within 7 to 10 days. In very young children, you may also notice increased irritability, poor appetite, or excessive drooling. Tonsillitis is incredibly common in children. In fact, almost every child will probably get tonsillitis at least once. If symptoms last longer, or if tonsillitis comes back multiple times during the year, it may be chronic or recurrent tonsillitis.

Acute tonsillitis will likely improve with home treatments, but in some cases may require other treatments, like antibiotics. Chronic tonsillitis may also cause tonsil stones , where materials like dead cells, saliva, and food build up in the crevices of your tonsils.

Eventually, the debris can harden into small stones. These may come loose on their own, or they may need to be removed by a doctor. Your doctor may recommend a tonsillectomy to surgically remove your tonsils if you have chronic tonsillitis. As with chronic tonsillitis, a standard treatment for recurrent tonsillitis is a tonsillectomy.

Recurrent tonsillitis is often defined as:. Research from suggests that chronic and recurrent tonsillitis may be caused by biofilms in the folds of the tonsils.

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms with increased antibiotic resistance that can cause repeated infections. A study examined the tonsils of children who had recurrent tonsillitis. The study found that genetics may cause a poor immune response to group A streptococcus bacteria, which causes strep throat and tonsillitis. Learn more about the genetics behind recurrent tonsillitis. In rare cases, tonsillitis can cause the throat to swell so much that it causes trouble breathing.

If this happens, seek immediate medical attention. If you have tonsillitis, you may be contagious 24 to 48 hours before you develop any symptoms. If you take antibiotics for bacterial tonsillitis, you should stop being contagious after 24 hours. You can develop tonsillitis if someone with the infection coughs or sneezes near you and you breathe in the droplets. If you touch a contaminated object, like a doorknob, and then touch your nose or mouth, you may also develop tonsillitis.

Being in contact with many people increases the risk of being exposed to tonsillitis. This is why school-age children often get the illness.

It typically takes 2 to 4 days to develop symptoms after being exposed to someone with tonsillitis. Find out how to reduce your risk of getting or spreading tonsillitis. Tonsils are your first line of defense against illness. They produce white blood cells that help your body fight infection.

The tonsils combat bacteria and viruses that enter your body through your mouth and nose. However, tonsils are also vulnerable to infection from these invaders. Tonsillitis can be caused by a virus, such as the common cold , or by a bacterial infection, such as strep throat.

Viruses are the most common cause of tonsillitis.