What is Tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis means infection of the tonsils – which are lymphoid glands that sit at the back of the throat.  The tonsils are part of the body’s immune defence system, and they trap bugs and foreign invaders before they go down your throat!  However, sometimes the bugs are too strong and can take over the tonsils, causing tonsillitis.

What Causes It?

Bacterial infections are the most common cause of tonsillitis, particularly the streptococcus bacteria.  The tonsils get big and red and often have white patches on top.  The lymph nodes (glands) in the neck enlarge to help fight the infection – they are often tender to touch just under the jawbone.  The glandular fever virus (Epstein Barr Virus) is also a common cause of tonsillitis in teenagers.

How Do You Treat Tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis can be recurrent (meaning it can keep coming back), and some kids get it every few months.  You can prevent it by having a long course of antibiotics or by having your tonsils out (the operation is called a tonsillectomy). 

These days, you should only have your tonsils out if you get bad tonsillitis more than five or so times per year.

Antibiotics are needed to treat true tonsillitis.  Your doctor will ensure that you just don’t have a sore throat as part of a cold or flu (where you would have a runny nose and a cough as well) which don’t need antibiotics.

Your Doctor may take a swab or sample of the bugs from your tonsils to grow in the lab.  This tells him or her which bug is causing the tonsillitis and therefore which Antibiotic to use.  Usually a week of antibiotics will be enough.

What Is A Tonsillectomy?

A tonsillectomy is where your tonsils are removed by a surgeon.  It’s a very quick and simple operation – as the tonsils are very soft, they can be easily scraped off the back of the throat.  Often, you can go home the same day without needing to spend the night in hospital.