Tonsillitis is quite a common infection suffered by many children at a young age but isn’t only limited to kids, adults can get it from time to time as well. Tonsillitis occurs when the tonsils (which are two glands at the back of the mouth) become infected trigger a bad sore throat as well as fever. Although tonsils can easily get infected and are a big nuisance, they play a vital role to one’s health, as we shall see further on in the article.

Common indicators of severe tonsillitis are really red or puss covered glands at the back of the throat. In such cases, tiny white spots can be fairly visible at the back portion of the mouth, and on the sides of the inner-mouth walls near the throat opening. The glands (also known as “lymph nodes”) become enlarged and cause eating difficulty (and in some cases trouble with breathing as well). Most children who suffer from tonsillitis may have their voices temporarily altered due to the swollen glands and also have restless sleep due to high fevers caused by the infection and also constricted airways. In some cases, breathing sometimes stops for a few seconds during sleep.

While most cases of tonsillitis do not last more than a few days and is more of a nuisance than being dangerous, there are a few things you need to do in order to avoid further health complications with your child. First of all, give your child paracetamol to keep the fever under control and if she runs an extremely high temperature, get her to the doctor immediately. During this period of recovery she might not have much of an appetite, so be sure your child drinks plenty of fluid to keep her body hydrated (fevers cause plenty of fluid loss due to sweating). During this time, feeding your child oil-free and soft foods like yogurt are a good idea, and avoid any deep fried food like potato chips as they can cause further irritation to the throat and make her even more miserable than she already is. Tonsillitis can be contagious and may spread through fluid exchange, so avoid kissing your child or sharing drinks or food during this period.

In general, the symptoms only lasts for a few days at most but if it persists, you will need to take your child to your doctor. For severe cases of tonsillitis, your doctor will normally prescribe the child with a dose of antibiotics (for bacterial-based infections). The treatment will thereby run its course for about a week wherein your child should be well recovered. It is important that your child completes his or her dose of antibiotics however or it might not be quite as effective the next time another dose is required. If the symptoms persists after this time, your doctor will either prescribe a stronger dose of antibiotics or suggest other alternatives such as surgical removal of the tonsils, and this procedure is called “tonsillectomy”. The doctor will need to run a few tests to determine if it is absolutely necessary because tonsillectomies are expensive and most children do not require it. As they grow older their condition generally improves.

While you can treat bacterial throat infections with antibiotics, there are no treatments for viral ones. In the event that your child has come down with a virus, your doctor will usually tell you to keep your child hydrated by drinking plenty of water, and keep the fever under control with drugs like Tylenol. As with any flu-like symptoms, it is important to have enough sleep in order to recover quickly. If your child’s immune system is strong, the effects of tonsillitis will normally subside within a week, if not then it’s probably a good idea to pay another visit to the doctor for further checkups.

In the event that a tonsillectomy is required, your child will need to be admitted to hospital for day surgery to have the tonsils removed. We all know how expensive hospital bills are thus the ear and throat specialist would not suggest this route unless it was the only option left. Your child would be required to be under anesthesia to numb the pain during operation and will not be able to eat solid foods for a couple of weeks after that. The adenoids at the back of the throat are cut off and your child should no longer suffer from sore throats once recovered. To prepare for the surgery, your child should fast for 12 hours prior to getting to the hospital and that means no drinking or eating the night before.

While the tonsillectomy is a quick procedure, your child might or might not be required to be hospitalized overnight depending on his or her condition and if the anesthesia has worn off or not. Be prepared as your child might cry a lot because of the exposed flesh in the wounded area - it will really hurt to swallow anything, even liquids. It will take approximately 7 to 10 days for the pain to subside.

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