Tonsillitis (medical term: angina tonsillaris) is an inflammation of the tonsils. In general, a distinction must be made between acute tonsillitis and chronic tonsillitis. The tonsils are part of the body’s immune system and thus normally ensure that infections cannot spread so easily in the body.
However, it can happen that the body’s immune protection is not sufficient and thus the tonsils themselves become inflamed. Usually bacteria are responsible for the inflammation of the tonsils. Depending on which bacteria cause the inflammation, a tonsillitis lasts differently long.
In some cases, it may be advisable to have the tonsils surgically removed to prevent a recurring inflammation of the tonsils. The duration of tonsillitis depends essentially on the form and cause of the disease. In the case of acute tonsillitis, about two weeks may pass between the onset of symptoms and the healing of the disease, although the use of antibiotics can usually shorten the course of the disease. In chronic tonsillitis, symptoms persist for 3 months and the disease can be cured by surgical removal of the tonsils.
Symptoms
Depending on whether it is chronic or acute tonsillitis, different symptoms can occur. The main difference is the intensity of the perceived symptoms. For example, patients suffering from acute tonsillitis usually complain of severe sore throat, difficulty swallowing and an elevated temperature.
Chronic tonsillitis has milder symptoms and may be partially caused by acute tonsillitis. Mild difficulty in swallowing and a scratchy throat are typical of chronic tonsillitis. The duration of the symptoms is another distinguishing feature of the two diseases. For example, an acute tonsillitis should have healed after about 2 weeks, whereas, according to the definition, a chronic tonsillitis shows symptoms over 3 months.
Causes
The duration of tonsillitis is also determined by the particular cause of the disease. This is mainly due to the good treatment option for acute tonsillitis caused by bacteria. Especially in adults, bacteria are mainly responsible for the inflammation, which can be treated very well with antibiotics.
Acute tonsillitis caused by bacteria usually heals within a week with antibiotic therapy. In individual cases it can take longer until complete recovery, but the period should not exceed 2 weeks. Antibiotics do not help with viral tonsillitis, which is why it sometimes takes longer until complete recovery. However, even with a viral cause of inflammation, tonsillitis is usually cured within two weeks.
