Leon Barretto

Tonsils are the two lymph nodes located on each side of the back of your throat. They function as a defense mechanism and help prevent your body from getting an infection. When tonsils become infected, the condition is called tonsillitis. Tonsillitis can occur at any age and is a common childhood illness. Your tonsils act as filters, trapping germs that could otherwise enter your airways and cause infection. They also make antibodies to fight infection.  But sometimes, they get overwhelmed by bacteria or viruses. This can make them swollen tonsils or inflamed tonsils. Tonsillitis most often occurs in children.

There are three types:

• Acute tonsillitis. These symptoms usually last 3 or 4 days but can last up to 2 weeks.
• Recurrent tonsillitis. This is when you get tonsillitis several times in a year.
• Chronic tonsillitis. This is when you have a long-term tonsil infection.

What causes swollen tonsils?

Streptococcus pyogenes can infect the throat and cause the tonsils to swell and become inflamed. Some people may also experience other symptoms, such as headaches and stomach pain.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)note that several types of adenoviruses cause respiratory infections, including colds, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Adenoviruses may also cause recurrent tonsil infections in people with a weakened immune system, though these infections may not always present with symptoms. As most adenoviruses are mild, people do not usually need treatment, and the virus may go away on its own.

The measles virus may cause swollen tonsils, high fever, a cough, and small white spots on the inside of the mouth, which typically appear 2–3 days after symptoms begin.

Patients with symptoms of tonsillitis should see their primary care provider or an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist, or otolaryngologist. If your tests find bacteria, you’ll get antibiotics. Your doctor might give you these drugs in a one-time injection or in pills that you’ll swallow for several days In certain situations determined by your ENT specialist, surgery may be recommended to remove the tonsils. Typically, children who have seven episodes of tonsillitis in one year, or five episodes per year for two consecutive years, or three episodes per year for three consecutive years, are considered candidates for tonsillectomy