Tonsillitis should i work

You may have a sore throat, swollen tonsils and pain when you swallow. Your tonsils are two small round lumps of tissue at the back of your throat. Your tonsils tend to get smaller as you get older. If you have tonsillitis, your tonsils are likely to be red, swollen and sore. You can get it at any time of the year.

Tonsillitis caused by a bacterial infection is more common in the winter or early spring. Tonsillitis usually improves on its own after around a week. You can ease your symptoms with self-help measures and over-the-counter medicines. You may also notice you have swollen tonsils and swollen glands in your neck. Your tonsils may be covered with a white coating or white flecks of pus. Your symptoms may last for a week. You can often ease tonsillitis at home without needing to see your GP.

Most people find things improve within a week without antibiotics. Your GP will usually diagnose tonsillitis from your symptoms and how your throat and tonsils look. They may also use a tongue depressor a flat wooden stick to push your tongue down gently and get a better view of your tonsils. They may feel around your neck to see if you have swollen glands. The symptoms of tonsillitis are similar to those of glandular fever. Glandular fever is most likely to affect teenagers and young adults.

It can cause a very bad sore throat, slightly raised temperature and swollen glands in your neck. Glandular fever is also more likely to cause a white coating on your tonsils and tiredness may last longer.

If your GP thinks you may have glandular fever, they may ask you to have a blood test. Tonsillitis usually improves on its own within a week without any antibiotics.

You can use self-help measures and over-the-counter medicines to ease your symptoms. Over-the-counter medicines can help if your throat is very sore or you have a temperature. Always read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine. If you have any questions, ask your pharmacist for advice.

If your symptoms are not improving after a week, or are getting worse, speak to your GP. Most people with tonsillitis find their symptoms improve after around a week, whether they take antibiotics or not. They may prescribe antibiotics if you:. Your GP may give you a delayed prescription for an antibiotic. If you do need an antibiotic, your GP is most likely to prescribe a five- to day course of penicillin.

If you are, the GP will give you another antibiotic instead. You should complete the full course, even if you start to feel better. This helps to get rid of all the harmful bacteria and reduces the risk of resistance when antibiotics no longer work against the bacteria.

If you have any questions about your medicine, speak to a pharmacist. Try cool drinks cold drinks can hurt , ice blocks and ice cream. Usually, they pick up quickly when the infection has gone. For tonsillitis that is caused by bacteria, antibiotics are prescribed. If attacks of tonsillitis become frequent and severe, or cause complications, your doctor might suggest an operation, known as tonsillectomy.

Reasons for tonsillectomy can include:. Before doing a tonsillectomy, your doctor will give you a complete physical check-up.

The tonsil pad has a large blood supply, and special note will be taken whether you have any abnormal bleeding tendencies. Your doctor will check to see if your tonsils are actively inflamed and, if so, will prescribe antibiotics for a few weeks to control the infection before the surgery. Tonsillectomy is mainly done in children to treat snoring, obstructive sleep apnoea or frequent tonsillitis. If symptoms are mild, a wait and see approach is recommended as problems often get better as children get older.

Safer Care Victoria has developed a Making a decision about tonsillectomy fact sheet to support parents in making an informed decision about tonsillectomy for their child together with their doctor. A tonsillectomy is performed under general anaesthesia. The glandular tissue is contained inside a skin lining which the surgeon cuts using scalpel, scissors, laser or an electric current electrocautery. The surgeon then removes the tonsils. Each tonsil pad has a substantial blood supply, so electrocautery is often used to fuse the blood vessels and reduce the risk of haemorrhage.

Safer Care Victoria has developed a number of videos where parents share their stories about caring for their child before, on the day of and after tonsil surgery. Be guided by your doctor about how to care for yourself at home, but general suggestions include:. However, it will stop the tonsillitis and allow you to swallow more easily.

You will probably lose your bad breath, if that was a problem. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. People are less sensitive to smells the older they get, and women tend to have a more acute sense of smell than men. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo BPPV is a condition characterised by episodes of sudden and severe vertigo.

If left untreated, this can lead to several medical conditions, such as strokes, irritability, weight gain and memory impairment. Another risk of having tonsillitis is the illness spreading to another part of your body.

This is known as tonsillar cellulitis. Moreover, your infected tonsils can lead to a significant buildup of pus behind your tonsils. This is known as a peritonsillar abscess. If you develop this condition, you will need drainage and surgery. The vast majority of these cases are caused by strep bacteria. Children between the ages of 5 and 15 are far more likely than any other age group to catch tonsillitis caused by bacteria. If your child is diagnosed with bacterial tonsillitis, ensure she takes her antibiotics exactly as directed and keep her home for the first 24 hours of antibiotic treatment.

If you suspect you or a loved one is suffering from tonsillitis, a quick, accurate diagnosis is required before you can get effective tonsillitis relief.

Regardless of your diagnosis, we will work closely with you to develop a safe, effective, customized treatment plan for rapid relief from your tonsillitis symptoms. What Causes Tonsillitis? Do I Have Tonsillitis? In adults, the most common symptoms of tonsillitis include: Stiff neck Scratchy-sounding voice Fever Chills Earache Stomachache Headache Jaw and neck tenderness Red, swollen tonsils White or yellow spots on tonsils Halitosis Very sore throat Difficult, painful swallowing 3.

Do I Have Acute Tonsillitis? Do I Have Chronic Tonsillitis? Do I Have Recurrent Tonsillitis? When Should I See a Doctor? Is Tonsillitis Contagious? How Is Tonsillitis Spread? How Is Tonsillitis Diagnosed? How Is Tonsillitis Treated? These remedies include: Getting plenty of rest Drinking lots of fluids Gargling with warm salt water every two hours Avoiding cigarette smoke Taking an NSAID to relieve pain and inflammation Using throat lozenges as directed Eating frozen foods Using a humidifier If you suffer from bacterial tonsillitis, antibiotics are the most common form of relief.

What Is a Tonsillectomy? When Are Antibiotics Prescribed for Tonsillitis? You may have both tonsillitis and strep throat if you are experiencing the symptoms of tonsillitis along with: Nausea Vomiting Severe body aches Small red spots at the back of your mouth White pus around your nostrils Extensive rashes The same tests used to diagnose tonsillitis can accurately diagnose strep throat. How Common Is Bacterial Tonsillitis?

They're usually the result of the infection spreading to another part of the body. Other complications of tonsillitis are very rare and usually only occur if an underlying bacterial infection is left untreated. They include:. The main symptom of tonsillitis is a sore throat. Your tonsils will be red and swollen, and your throat may be very painful, making swallowing difficult. If you have tonsillitis that's caused by a viral infection, such as the common cold or flu , your symptoms may be milder.

If your tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial infection, such as a streptococcal infection, your symptoms will usually be more severe and you may also have bad breath. It's difficult to tell just by looking at a person's throat whether they have tonsillitis as a result of a virus or a bacterial infection.

Tests are needed to confirm this. Antibiotics may be recommended if test results show that your tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial infection. In rare cases, tonsillitis can also be caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes glandular fever. If this is the case, you'll probably feel very ill. You'll have a sore throat and the lymph glands in your throat may be swollen. You may also have a fever and feel very tired.

Bacterial tonsillitis can be caused by a number of different bacteria, but it's usually due to group A streptococcus bacteria. In the past, serious bacterial infections, such as diphtheria and rheumatic fever, have been linked with tonsillitis.

However, this is now rare, because these conditions are vaccinated against and treatment for them has greatly improved. Viruses, such as those that cause colds and flu, are spread through coming into close contact with someone who's infected. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, the virus is contained in the millions of tiny droplets that come out of their nose and mouth.

You can become infected by breathing in the contaminated droplets. This is known as direct contact. You can also become infected if you touch a surface or object that the droplets have landed on and then touch your face. This is known as indirect contact. There's no specific treatment for tonsillitis and most cases get better within a week without treatment.

While waiting for the infection to clear up, there are a number of things you can do to help relieve your symptoms see below. If your child has tonsillitis, make sure they have plenty to eat and drink, even if they find it painful to swallow. Being hungry and dehydrated can make other symptoms, such as headaches and tiredness, worse. Over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen , can help relieve painful symptoms such as a sore throat. If treating your children with painkillers, it's important to use the correct type and dosage.

Younger children only need small dosages. Your pharmacist can advise you about this. Over-the-counter treatments that can soothe a sore throat, such as lozenges and oral sprays, are also available. Some people find that gargling with a mild antiseptic solution can also relieve a sore throat. Alternatively, you could try gargling with warm, salty water. Mix half a teaspoon of salt 2.

It's important not to swallow the water, so this method may not be suitable for younger children. Antibiotics may not be prescribed, even if tests confirm your tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial infection.