Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Health and wellbeing
  3. Illnesses and conditions
  4. A to Z

Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is an infection which causes a sore throat and swelling of your tonsils. It can affect people of all ages but is most common in young children. It usually goes away on its own after a few days. If not seek advice (see below).

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

The information on this page has been adapted from original content from the NHS website.

For further information see terms and conditions.

Health conditions A to Z

Or find conditions beginning with A to Z…

Skip A to Z menu
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z

Related conditions

  • Abscess

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS