When To Visit an ENT Specialist for Tonsillitis Treatment?

At the back of the throat, soft tissue masses called tonsils are composed of tissues similar to lymph nodes. They are part of the lymphatic system and help fight infections. Small children usually get infected with tonsillitis and show symptoms such as sore throat, swollen tonsil, and fever.

• How can you determine you have tonsils?

The symptoms of a tonsil usually vary from one person to another. Here are the commonly detected symptoms such as severe sore throat, fever, difficulty breathing, tonsil pain in the ears, tiredness, body aches, etc. If you have more than three common symptoms, you should visit an ENT or tonsillitis specialist, who can help you through a clinical diagnosis to determine the cause and treat it.

• How are clinical diagnoses conducted?

A doctor would usually check the back of your throat for any redness or inflammation, along with white patches, or determine whether you have an infection. A blood test and a strep test can also be advised to understand the severity of the disease.

• Is tonsil contagious?

Tonsillitis is not contagious, but the bacteria or virus that causes it can develop tonsils in other people you come in contact with. So, it is always advised to maintain good hygiene. Hands should be washed properly before and after the toilet, one should avoid touching the face and mouth repeatedly, and one should not share food, drinks, and utensils with people suffering from viral flu. 

• What are the causes of tonsils?

Viruses or bacteria can get trapped within the mouth or the tonsil area, leading to an infection. The body also produces white blood cells to fight vulnerability.

Tonsillitis is usually caused by viruses such as adenovirus, rhinovirus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, and herpes simplex virus. Common symptoms include a runny nose and coughing. It is always advised to diagnose tonsillitis as viral; antibiotics won’t work, and you need to drink a lot of fluid and get enough rest.

Strep bacteria cause bacterial tonsillitis, and medical specialists prescribe antibiotics, such as azithromycin, to treat it.

• Tonsillitis Types

Tonsillitis can be of three types:

1. Acute - where the symptoms last for two weeks
2. Chronic - where the symptoms go beyond two weeks, and you need to see an ENT specialist.
3. Recurrent—where the symptoms recur at least seven times a year or at least five times within two years; in this case, ENT usually advises tonsillectomy.

• How can tonsils be treated?

Tonsils can be treated in 3 ways:

1. Tonsillectomy - which is a surgical process of removing the tonsils.
2. Medical specialists prescribe antibiotics for bacterial tonsillitis.
3. Home remedies include staying hydrated, getting enough rest, and taking over-the-counter medicines to reduce pain and general inflammation.

Summing it up

It usually takes 7 to 10 days for the tonsils to resolve. Also, after antibiotic treatment, one can feel relief within 48 hours. However, in many cases, complications occur during recurrent tonsillitis, such as OSA and rheumatic fever; this requires the primary care of a doctor.