What Is Tonsillitis And Its Symptoms And Treatment

The inflammation of tonsils is known as tonsillitis. There are two masses of tissues present at the back of our throat, known as tonsils. They usually serve as a filter for viruses and bacteria and trap germs that can otherwise enter your respiratory tract. When a load of germs increases, your tonsils get inflamed and swollen, leading to tonsilitis. Usually, children suffer from tonsillitis, but adults can get it too. If you or your children suffer from tonsillitis often, you must visit a top ENT specialist in Lahore.

What are the signs and symptoms of tonsillitis?

The signs and symptoms of tonsillitis are:

Swollen lymph nodes

Fever

Cough

Sore throat

Pain in swallowing

Red tonsils

White or yellow pus on the tonsils

Ear pain

Headache

Bad breath

What causes tonsillitis?

Generally, people suffer from viral or bacterial tonsillitis. In viral tonsillitis, antibiotics would not work. However, in bacterial tonsillitis, they would show efficient results. You must stay hydrated and have rest during the infection.

Is tonsillitis contagious?

Tonsillitis is contagious even 24 to 48 hours before you get any symptoms, and this continues until you are completely fine. If you cough or sneeze around someone during an infection, they can also get it through your respiratory droplets. Or if you cough or sneeze on a surface and someone else touches that surface and touches their nose or mouth, the germs can be transmitted to them as well.

People who are exposed to many people are more prone to getting tonsillitis infection. Therefore, children of the school-going age suffer from it often. Since children play with each other, sit together in schools, they catch and transmit the infection to each other.

What is the treatment of tonsillitis?

If you are diagnosed with viral tonsillitis, the doctor will not prescribe an antibiotic. However, if you are diagnosed with bacterial tonsils, the doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics. Take those medications on time. In both the cases, you can take a pain-relieving medicine like paracetamol or ibuprofen to get rid of sore throat and fever.

Furthermore, there are many home remedies for getting rid of the symptoms of tonsillitis. Always follow what your healthcare provider says, but in the meanwhile, you can practice some home remedies as well.

Take a proper night sleep, have plenty of rest and do not overexert yourself.

Gargle with a mixture of warm water and salt solution.

Drink hot drinks like coffee and hot soups.

Take a steamy shower.

Use a humidifier or a vaporizer in your room.

Suck lozenges with anesthetics as they will numb your throat, relieving pain.

Eat smoothies and cold food like ice creams and gelato.

Keep yourself hydrated. If you would not keep yourself hydrated, then you will be given fluids intravenously.

If you are suffering from recurrent tonsillitis that makes eating and breathing difficult for you, then your healthcare provider may decide on removing your tonsils. It is a surgical procedure through which they remove your tonsils. Mostly it is an outpatient procedure, and you do not have to stay for a long time in the hospital.

Conclusion

Tonsils are part of your defense mechanism. But when they catch infection often, it can be dangerous for your health. Your tonsils can get infected by Streptococci bacteria that can cause strep throat. If it is not treated well, it can result in the infection of heart valves, joints and other tissues by causing rheumatic fever.

Always take the medications that the doctor prescribes to you. Do not miss the dose or alter it, as doing that with antibiotics could lead to antibiotic resistance, that makes it harder than before to treat the infection. If you or your child is suffering from a sore throat, you must visit the best ENT specialist in Lahore.