Tonsillitis

Symptoms of tonsillitis

Tonsillitis can feel like a bad cold or flu. The tonsils at the back of your throat will be red and swollen.

The main symptoms are:

• a sore throat
• difficulty swallowing
• hoarse or no voice
• a high temperature of 38C or above
• coughing
• headache
• feeling sick
• earache
• feeling tired

Sometimes the symptoms can be more severe and include:

• swollen painful glands in your neck – feels like a lump on the side of your neck
• white pus-filled spots on your tonsils at the back of your throat
• bad breath

Symptoms will usually go away after three to four days.

Tonsillitis isn't contagious but the infections that cause it are (for example, colds and flu).

To stop these infections from spreading:

• stay off work or keep your child at home until you or your child feel better
• use tissues when you cough or sneeze and throw them away after
• wash your hands after coughing or sneezing

How to treat tonsillitis yourself

Tonsillitis usually has to run its course. To help ease the symptoms you should:

• get plenty of rest
• drink cool drinks to soothe the throat
• take paracetamol or ibuprofen (don't give aspirin to children under 16)
• gargle with warm salty water (children shouldn't try this)

How to gargle with salty water

• Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water – warm water helps salt dissolve.
• Gargle with the solution then spit it out – don't swallow it.
• Repeat as often as you like.

When to seek medical help

Speak to a pharmacist about tonsillitis. They can give advice and suggest treatments to ease a sore throat like:

• lozenges
• throat sprays
• antiseptic solutions

See your GP if:

• you have white pus-filled spots on the tonsils at the back of your throat
• the sore throat is so painful it's difficult to eat or drink
• the symptoms don't go away after four days

Your GP can usually tell its tonsillitis by asking about your symptoms and looking at the back of your throat. Sometimes they might:

• wipe a cotton bud at the back of your throat to test for bacteria
• organise a blood test to rule out glandular fever (if your symptoms are severe or won't go away)

Usually you'll get any test results back within a couple of days.

Treatment

Treatment will depend on what caused your tonsillitis:

• a virus (viral tonsillitis), which most children and adults have – this type has to run its course and antibiotics won't help
• bacteria (bacterial tonsillitis) – your GP may prescribe antibiotics

Usually your GP will have to wait for the test results to tell which type you have.

It's very rare that someone needs to have their tonsils taken out. This is usually only the case if you have severe tonsillitis that keeps coming back.

Complications with tonsillitis (quinsy)

Complications with tonsillitis are very rare. If they happen they mostly affect young children aged two to four. Sometimes you can get a pocket filled with pus (abscess) between your tonsils and the wall of your throat. This is called quinsy.

See a GP urgently or go to your nearest emergency department if you have:

• a severe sore throat that quickly gets worse
• swelling inside the mouth and throat
• difficulty speaking         
• difficulty swallowing
• difficulty breathing
• difficulty opening your mouth

These are signs of quinsy.

More useful links

• How to use your health services