The symptoms you may experience when you have tonsillitis can include the following:
For very young children who may not be able to describe the symptoms they are experiencing, look for these characteristics:
When you examine a person’s tonsils closely, you’ll notice these small, hidden pockets and grooves within them. These areas can accumulate old, dead skin cells and bacteria.
When particles like food, bacteria, or other particles get stuck in these pockets, they can become hardened and turn into tonsil stones.
It’s possible to develop tonsil stones even without experiencing tonsillitis — in fact, many individuals suffer from tonsil stones quite often. Tonsil stones are generally benign, but in a few instances, they can lead to tonsillitis. This is why you might see white spots and patches on the tonsils if you have tonsillitis.
On the other hand, tonsillitis can occur without the presence of tonsil stones, and the same goes for the stones. Tonsil stones usually come out on their own, although some individuals may remove them with a cotton swab.
While the way people feel pain can vary greatly, in nearly every instance, tonsillitis leads to discomfort in the throat, including a painful or sore throat, challenges or pain when swallowing, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, and a hoarse voice (which might make it harder than normal to speak). Additionally, some individuals might also suffer from headaches, abdominal pain, or a stiff neck due to tonsillitis.
It’s important to consider that a person might have the bacteria responsible for strep throat (which would show up in a strep test), but they might not be infected with the bacteria or show any pain or other symptoms.
The bacteria responsible for strep are present in the tonsils, but they’re not causing an active infection; they’re just residing there. Antibiotics, the usual treatment for tonsillitis caused by bacterial infections, aren’t suggested in these instances unless the person is showing signs of tonsillitis.
Whether tonsillitis is due to a virus or bacteria, it can quickly transmit from one individual to another due to its contagious nature. This risk is particularly high when an individual is actively infected. Maintaining proper hygiene is the most effective approach to prevent tonsillitis.
Tonsillitis resulting from a bacterial infection, like Streptococcus pyogenes (also known as group A streptococcus, the bacteria responsible for strep throat), is very contagious. Individuals with strep can spread the bacteria through coughing and sneezing, releasing small droplets into the air that carry the bacteria.
The infection can then be transmitted through any of the following methods:
Bacterial and viral infections are passed from person to person in essentially the same ways.
In most cases, tonsillitis will go away on its own in about five to seven days.
However, having a sore throat is quite common and can occur multiple times during a cold season. It can also be challenging to determine when it’s necessary to make an appointment with your physician.
Call your care provider if you are experiencing any of these symptoms:
You should seek urgent care such as an emergency room if these symptoms are present:
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