When Should You See A Doctor When You Have Tonsillitis?

Introduction

Tonsillitis is mostly caused by a virus like adenovirus and other viruses, and rarely by bacteria like Staphylococcus and Mycoplasma. It can occur in both children and adults but is more common among children. The infection can be acute, chronic, or recurrent.

Tonsillitis is most times just a mild infection that goes away on its own. Sometimes the condition may complicate, causing life-threatening symptoms. Complicated Tonsillitis requires treatment so as to save tonsils in Marrero and life.

Which Symptoms Show You Have Tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis presents with the following symptoms;

Sore throat
Headache
Bad breath
Visible white or yellow spots at the back of the mouth
Discomfort during swallowing

Less common signs include nausea and vomiting, fatigue, changes in voice, and stomach pain.

How Can You Treat Tonsillitis at Home?

Most cases of Tonsillitis are self-limited and require no treatment by a doctor. When you get Tonsillitis, it is advisable to get enough rest so as to promote recovery. When you rest, you save energy and the immune system can fight the infection better.

You should also increase your fluid intake levels to help soothe the throat. Dryness causes more throat irritation resulting in more pain. Warm fluids are recommended. Softer fluids like smoothies and soups are good for you.

You should avoid irritants like tobacco smoke. It is reported that gargling salty water helps to decrease the inflammation and soothe your throat. Young children might choke when gargling and therefore this is discouraged.

Using humidifiers to increase the humidity prevents throat irritation from dry air. If you don’t have a humidifier, you can benefit by spending some time in a steamy bathroom. Cold foods like frozen yogurt are thought to be good for your throat during Tonsillitis because they decrease the pain by numbing it.

Dry hard snacks like crackers can irritate your throat and are bad for you. Some people use throat lozenges to soothe the throat and pain killers to reduce the pain. NSAIDs like aspirin are risky for children and, therefore, mild painkillers like paracetamol are preferred.

You should also avoid straining your voice since this can irritate your throat. Tonsillitis is contagious and therefore you should avoid sharing personal equipment, kissing, and ensure you are maintaining good hygiene standards.

When Should You See a Doctor?

As stated above, most cases of Tonsillitis are mild and require no treatment. However, when you get the following symptoms, you should see a doctor;

Fever and chills which last for more than 3 days. The fever may be accompanied by a rash
Difficulty in breathing which may occur when sleeping
A sore throat that lasts for more than 2 days
Extreme weakness or fatigue
Neck stiffness
Inability to eat, swallow, or talk
Muscle weakness

Tonsillitis can complicate to form a peritonsillar abscess that requires incision and drainage. Other rare complications include tonsillar cellulitis, Rheumatic fever, and Glomerulonephritis. Finding the right doctor is important as these ailments may require surgical procedures. Reputed medical centers that have qualified doctors like Los Angeles ENT Doctors can be consulted for diagnoses and treatment.