TONSILLITIS : DEFINITION, TYPES, SYMPTOMS, CAUSES AND MORE

OVERVIEW

Tonsillitis is basically the disease of tonsils, in which the inflammation of tonsils takes place. Tonsils are in simple terms pads or mass of tissue that are placed at the back of the neck or the throat. They are present one on each side of the throat.

Tonsils are filters of our neck and throat and they function by trapping any kind of herm or pathogen that might enter the airways of our body and may cause any sort of infection.

Tonsils also function by making antibodies for our body to fight against specific diseases. At times, when the tonsils are not able to fight back with the micro – organism, the micro – organism tends to infect these tonsils leading to their inflammation and their swelling. This condition results in tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is a very common infection. It is most common in younger children. The person might get tonsillitis once in a while or it may be recurring, that it it comes after a short period of time again and again

There are various treatments that are available for this disease. Tonsillitis can be easily cured and there is nothing to worry about this disease. However, sometimes it might cause severe situations leading to surgery but there are medications available to cure that situation as well

 

TYPES OF TONSILLITIS

The type of tonsillitis basically tells us that at which stage of the disease a person has reached. There are basically five types of tonsillitis. They are listed below :

Acute tonsillitis

• Acute type of tonsillitis is just the initial phase of tonsillitis when the infection just begins
• In this type the person usually experiences a sore throat or a mild pain in the throat
• This type is either caused by a viral infection or a bacterial infection
• Usually people are advised to take antibiotics (in case of bacterial infection) and lukewarm fluids (in case of viral infection)

Recurring tonsillitis

• Recurring tonsillitis is basically when this infection occurs again and again in a short period of time
• For example, the infection occurring almost about seven times in a year repeatedly
• In this case while the treatment of antibiotics is going on, it leads to another infection somehow due to which the same disease re – occurs over small period of time
• This type of infection is caused usually due to a bacteria

Chronic tonsillitis

• Chronic type occurs when the recurring infection causes a chronic sore throat
• This type might be extremely painful
• The person experiences a sore throat
• The cervical nodes also become tender persistently

Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) or quinsy

• If the acute tonsillar type of infection is left untreated over a longer period of time, another type of bacterial infection that occurs lateral to the tonsillar region is called the absecess
• This abscess is basically a swollen region that is filled up with pus
• It futher forms the peritonsillar region.
• In this type symptoms other than sore throat such as fever, foul breath, altered voice also occurs

Tonsil or tonsillar hyperplasia or tonsillar hypertrophy

• Tonsillar hyperplasia is basically the abnormal enlargement of the palatal tonsils
• This enlargements comes with cardinal symptoms
• The symptoms might include snoring, difficulty in swallowing and speaking sometimes as well

 

SYMPTOMS OF TONSILLITIS

The symptoms a person has of the disease, depends on what type of infection the person is having and at what stage of the disease the person is currently. The various symptoms of tonsillitis that a person might have are listed below :

• Sore throat
• Pain while swallowing
• Red and swollen tonsils
• Pus filled in the tonsils
• Fever
• Headache
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Difficulty in speaking
• Pain in the ears
• Pain in the neck
• Fatigue
• Difficulty in sleeping
• Coughing
• Night chills
• Swelling of lymph glands
• Stomach ache and vomiting
• Feeling of nausea
• Furry tongue
• Changes in the voice sound
• Bad breath
• Foul smell coming from the mouth
• Difficulty opening the mouth sometimes
• Stiff neck
• Muscle weakness
• Congestion
• Runny nose
• Coughing up blood

 

CAUSES OF TONSILLITIS

There are various reasons and causes that might lead to tonsillitis. Some of them are listed below :

• Various viral infections
• Hepatitis A
• HIV
• Bacterial infections
• Frequent exposure to germs
• Not maintaining hygiene

 

DIAGNOSIS OF TONSILLITIS

If the doctor suspects that the person is having tonsillitis, he might recommend the patient to undergo the following diagnosis :

• General palpating of the neck ( to check for the swollen glands)
• Check for enlargement of spleen
• Physical examination
• Throat swab
• Complete blood cell count (CBC)

 

TREATMENT OF TONSILLITIS

The type of treatment a person receives entirely depends on the type of tonsillitis he or she is having and at what stage of the disease a person is at. The treatment also depends on whether the person has mild type of infection or severe type. Usually mild type of infections do not require any kind of treatment but the severe one do require a treatment. Following listed are some treatments that one might consider :

• Tonsillectomy

Tonsillectomy is basically a surgery in which the tonsils are removed. It is only for people who experience chronic or recurring type of tonsillitis

• Tonsillitis antibiotics
• Drinking plenty of fluids
• Getting rest
• Usage of throat lozenges
• Gargling with warm salty water frequently during a day

 

PREVENTION OF TONSILLITIS

There are various ways of reducing the risk of infection of the tonsils. Some of them are listed below :

• Maintain proper hygiene
• Washing hands , especially before touching the nose or mouth
• Replacing the toothbrush regularly
• By avoiding sharing utensils and other stuff with any person who is sick
• Maintaining proper facial cleanliness
• Maintaining dental and oral hygiene

 

COMPLICATIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH TONSILLITIS

There are various other infections and complications that are associated with the infection of tonsils. Some of the complications and infections are listed below :

• Scarlet fever

Scarlet fever is a mild kind of infection that can be caused if the chronic type of infection of the tonsils is left untreated for a longer period of time

• Rheumatic fever

This is a bit rare type of complication that can occur if the course of antibiotics that is going on for the infection of tonsils is not completed. This can lead to permanent damage to heart and also to various cardiovascular diseases

• Spread of infection

If the bacterial type of infection of tonsils is left untreated, then this might lead to a spread of the infection

• Otitis media

Otitis media is basically the infection of the middle ear and it occurs if the tonsillitis is left untreated