Reasons Why People Have Tonsillitis
Tonsillitis is the inflammation of the pharyngeal tonsils. Simply put, it just means your tonsils are swollen. The swelling or inflammation may also include other areas of the back of the throat, such as the adenoids and the lingual tonsils. The tonsils are lymph nodes (oval shaped masses of lymph gland tissue) seen on both sides of the throat. An infection of these tonsils is known as tonsillitis.
Common characteristics or symptoms of tonsillitis involve pain in the throat and trouble swallowing. It can be diagnosed only by checking the tonsils using a tongue depressor and spatula, used in collecting a sample.
The sample collected will show whether the infection is bacterial or viral. Streptococcus is the most common type of bacteria that causes tonsillitis. An example of a viral illness that can cause tonsillitis is glandular fever, but other viral infections may cause it as well. Examples of viral causes are herpes simplex virus, the measles virus, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, Streptococcus pyogenes (GABHS) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).
Bacterial infections will require antibiotics, while viral infections won’t respond to it.
Tonsillitis is normally a self-limiting condition. This just means it usually gets better without treatment, and there are normally no complications. It is a very common condition in children and young people, but it can happen at any age.
Tonsillitis may also be carried from person to person via social contact, like coughing, sneezing and nasal fluids.
Tonsillitis has many variations or kinds, namely acute, recurrent, and chronic tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess.
Some common symptoms of tonsillitis are the following:
- Painful swallowing
- Pain when opening the mouth
- Headache
- High temperatures or fever
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- White or yellow spots of pus on the tonsils
- Swollen lymph glands under either side of the jaw
Tonsillectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the tonsils. It is recommended for those with recurrent tonsillitis, where the disease keeps happening over and over.
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