With a scratchy throat and pain when swallowing it starts, then you can only wait: Will it remain with these symptoms or develop a juicy tonsillitis? Here you can learn how to recognize the symptoms of tonsillitis, which remedies and home remedies help against it and when to go to the doctor.
What are the tonsils?
When people talk about the tonsils, they generally mean the palatine tonsils that you can see at the back of your mouth when you open your mouth wide. They are located there on the left and right between the mucosal folds of what is called the palatine arch. However, there are two other tonsils: the pharyngeal tonsil, located above the uvula at the back of the throat, and the lingual tonsil at the bottom of the throat, where the tongue has its base. There is only one of each of these two tonsils, and they cannot be seen without the aid of a mirror. Because of their location at the “entrance” to the body, the tonsils and other lymphoid tissues have early contact with all sorts of pathogens that are taken in with the breath or saliva through the nose and mouth. Common cold: what helps against the symptoms?
Tonsillitis: typical symptoms
In tonsillitis, the tonsils are no longer up to their normal defense function and the pathogens gain the upper hand. In many viral sore throats, the tonsils show a co-reaction; this is particularly strong in Pfeiffer’s glandular fever. In most cases, however, this co-reaction is lost in the general feeling of illness, so that it is rare to see a doctor because of it. In the case of tonsillitis, typical symptoms can occur, which differ slightly depending on the cause (bacterial or viral) and form (acute or chronic). In general, tonsillitis results in the following signs of illness:
- Sore throat
- Reddened, swollen tonsils
- Difficulty swallowing
- Swollen lymph nodes on the neck
- General feeling of illness
In the following, we will once again discuss the different forms and the symptoms typical of them.
Viral tonsillitis
In tonsillitis, the tonsils are no longer up to their normal defense function and the pathogens gain the upper hand. In many viral sore throats, the tonsils show a co-reaction, and this is particularly strong in Pfeiffer’s glandular fever. In most cases, however, this co-reaction is not noticed in the general feeling of illness, so that it is rare to see a doctor because of it. If it is a viral tonsillitis, the following symptoms are typical in addition to the general symptoms:
- Cough
- Common cold
- Headache
Bacterial tonsillitis
The situation is different with tonsillitis, which is caused by bacteria. Here, the tonsillitis is in the foreground of the complaints. Streptococci are usually the causative pathogens, but pneumococci, staphylococci or hemophilus bacteria can also trigger severe tonsillitis. A well-known streptococcal infection of the tonsils is scarlet fever, in which a rash typical of the disease also occurs. In bacterial tonsillitis, the following additional signs are typical:
- Purulent coatings on the tonsils
- Pain-sensitive lymph nodes
- Strongly reddened pharyngeal mucosa
- Fever
Chronic tonsillitis
In addition to these acute clinical pictures, chronic inflammation of the tonsils can also occur, for example, if a bacterial infection has not been adequately treated or if the tonsil tissue is scarred by multiple inflammations. Chronic tonsillitis usually has less pronounced symptoms. However, the following signs may indicate chronic tonsillitis:
- Unexplained, strong bad breath
- Recurrent infections of the tonsils
- Mild difficulty swallowing and scratchy throat
Chronic tonsillitis can promote other inflammatory processes in the body. A therapy is therefore useful even with minor symptoms to avoid secondary diseases, such as joint inflammation or skin diseases.
Is tonsillitis contagious?
Acute tonsillitis is very contagious, especially during the first days of illness. Bacteria or viruses are transmitted by droplets, for example when coughing or sneezing.In the case of bacterial tonsillitis, the risk of infection is reduced if it is treated with antibiotics. Since symptoms such as coughing and sneezing, during which a particularly large number of droplets are emitted, are atypical in chronic tonsillitis, the risk of infection is also correspondingly lower here.
Therapy of tonsillitis: tips and home remedies.
To flush the pathogens from the tonsils, it is recommended to drink a lot. In doing so, you won’t enjoy hot or fruity drinks – both irritate the inflamed tonsils and increase the burning sensation and pain. Cool or lukewarm drinks are better, such as cold sage tea, which also has an anti-inflammatory effect, or – especially for children – water ice to suck on. Paracetamol or another antipyretic is helpful against severe pain and fever. Throat compresses also have an anti-inflammatory effect and can thus accelerate the healing process. Simply soak a cloth in cold water, wring it out and place it around the neck. Over it comes a dry cloth.
When to see a doctor?
If, despite taking it easy and applying the above tips, there is no improvement or even a worsening of symptoms after a few days, a family doctor or ear, nose and throat specialist should be consulted. This can help to clarify the underlying cause of the tonsillitis and treat it accordingly. A doctor should also be consulted if symptoms are severe, especially if the swelling of the tonsils is accompanied by shortness of breath.
Treatment of bacterial tonsillitis.
For bacterial tonsillitis, an antibiotic is also given – usually penicillin, as it works well against streptococci. It is important that the antibiotic is taken for the prescribed period, even if the symptoms resolve much more quickly. Otherwise, complications can arise from a delayed tonsillitis, which can affect the heart or kidneys. For example, until a few years ago, heart valve disease was often the result of untreated angina. Fortunately, educating patients about the importance of taking proper antibiotics and checking their heart valves after severe tonsillitis led to a decrease in this complication.
Treatment of chronic tonsillitis
In cases of chronic tonsillitis that cannot be controlled even with antibiotics, surgical removal of the tonsils will be sought. It must be decided on a case-by-case basis whether this procedure can be performed as an outpatient or inpatient procedure. After the operation, the wound tissue, which is well supplied with blood, can bleed more heavily – although this rarely occurs, it can be life-threatening. For this reason, the blood coagulation of the affected person is carefully examined beforehand. Rarely, patients complain of increased infections of the other tonsils and the side strands (lateral gangrene) in the period after the operation. In most cases, tonsillectomy results in freedom from symptoms, and the other tonsils and the lymphatic tissue of the Waldeyer’s pharyngeal ring take over the task of familiarizing the immune system with incoming germs.
Tonsillitis in children
In childhood, all tonsils are quite large – they have a lot to do, since all pathogens are meeting them for the first time and the immune system has to react accordingly. In young children, the enlarged tonsils can constrict the mouth and throat to the point where breathing and eating are impaired – if your child snores, it could be due to the tonsils. However, as your child ages, the tonsils get smaller and smaller as the amount of unknown pathogens gets smaller and smaller, relatively speaking. Shortness of breath is a more common accompanying symptom of tonsillitis in children because the tonsils are naturally larger than in adults. If shortness of breath occurs, a doctor should be consulted urgently. Tea as a home remedy: which tea is good for what?
