Tonsillitis Infections

Tonsillitis results from a bacterial or viral infection of the tonsils, the fleshy pads located on either side of the throat. It is a common illness in childhood that causes pain and inflammation, but adults can also get it. Bacterial infections are also referred to as strep throat. Treatment will depend on what is causing the infection.

Causes

• The tonsils serve as a filter for harmful bacteria and viruses that enter the body through the mouth and nose. They swallow them up in white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting off infection and disease. When this happens, a low-grade infection occurs in the tonsils and at times, this infection intensifies, resulting in tonsillitis.

  Viruses cause the majority of cases with the Epstein-Barr virus being one of the most common. This virus is also responsible for causing mononucleosis. Bacteria account for a smaller number of cases; infection with group A streptococci bacteria is also known as strep throat.

Symptoms

• Symptoms include red, swollen tonsils covered in white patches, sore throat, trouble or pain swallowing, headache, fever, chills, enlarged lymph nodes in the jaw and neck and laryngitis (loss of voice). Children specifically might also experience abdominal pain.

Risk Factors and Complications

• Tonsillitis occurs most often in school-age children. Like any other viral or bacterial infections, close contact with others in places like schools and childcare facilities increases the risk of infection.

  Untreated tonsillitis can cause airway obstruction, resulting in sleep apnea and other health problems. Pus can accumulated between the tonsil and the soft tissues around it, forming an abscess. Rarely, this infected material can spread to the bloodstream or into the neck and chest.

  Certain bacterial strains that cause tonsillitis can prompt nephritis (kidney inflammation) or rheumatic fever, which can damage the heart, joints, nervous system and skin.

Treatments

• Self-care strategies address virus-induced tonsillitis; antibiotics cannot treat viral infections. Drink warm liquids, gargle with salt water and take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) to treat pain and reduce fever.

  Your doctor will prescribe an oral antibiotic, usually penicillin, for bacterial infections. You will need to take the full course of antibiotics even if you feel better in a couple of days; stopping treatment early can bring the infection back.

  Once a standard treatment for tonsillitis, tonsillectomy is usually employed when other treatments fail. Adults rarely need a tonsillectomy. A doctor might recommend surgery for a child if he gets seven or more serious throat infections in one year, five or more every year for two years in a row, or three or more every year in a three year period. Abscesses and obstructed airways due to swelling might also require surgery.

Home Care

• Mix honey and lemon in a glass of hot water; allow it to cool and drink. Honey will soothe the throat while the lemon reduces mucus. Suck on hard candies or lozenges to stimulate saliva production, which cleanses the throat. Use a humidifier to moisten the air; this will reduce throat irritation and help you sleep. Change the water every day. Stay away from smoke and other irritants. Minimize talking to reduce throat irritation and prevent laryngitis.