CAUSES:

• Tonsils that are responsible for filtering germs from the throat before they cause infection to the throat get infected, thus leading to tonsillitis.
• It is mainly caused due to viruses and a special type of bacteria called Streptococcus bacteria.
• Inflammations are caused due to infection.
• Tonsillitis is very common in children.
• Recurrent tonsillitis may lead to various complications like breathing difficulty, middle ear infections and other infections.
• In this case of recurrent tonsillitis, to remove the tonsils surgery is recommended.

SYMPTOMS:

• Sore throats.
• Difficulty in swallowing.
• Aches.
• Increase in temperatures.
• Chills.
• Bad breath.
• Swollen glands in neck.
• Laryngitis.
• Tonsils may be red, swollen, covered with white specks or a yellow or white coloured coating.
• Lymph nodes in neck may become swollen and become painful when touched.

PREVENTION:

• Personal hygiene is very important, thus wash hands regularly.
• Avoid contact with the people who have upper respiratory infections.

TREATMENT:

• Treating tonsillitis is based on the causes.
• If it is caused due to virus, then it is necessary to relieve the symptoms till the infection clears of its own.
• If it is caused due to Streptococcus bacteria then antibiotics are used to cure the inflammation.
• Antibiotics are needed to cure the infection caused due to bacteria and their complications.
• To ease pain and reduce fever, various non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used.
• To relieve throat pain, throat lozenges can be used.
• To soothe the pain caused due to tonsillitis, mixture of garlic, salt and either hot or cold water can be consumed.
• Consuming soft foods will help in avoiding throat irritation and also aggravating the symptoms.
• Various homeopathic tablets that are made from different constituents like American poke weed (Phytolacca Americana), lignum vitae (Guajaum officinale) and paprika (Capsicum annum) help in relieving the tonsillitis symptoms.

SURGERY:

• Recurring tonsillitis is cured only with the help of surgical removal of the tonsils; the technique is shortly termed as tonsillectomy.
• Tonsillectomy is also performed when tonsillitis causes other complications like breathing difficulty, difficulty in swallowing, recurrent middle ear infections and abscesses on the tonsils.
• It is necessary to know that the surgery reduces the number of throat infections and does not totally eliminate it.

NOTE:

• Tonsillitis mainly affects children between ages 5 to 10 and in people who are exposed to Streptococcus bacteria and in people who have recurring upper respiratory infections.
• A doctor diagnoses tonsillitis based upon the symptoms and the occurrence of tonsils.
• Tonsillitis whether it is caused by Streptococcus bacteria or another bacterium can be determined by having a clear examination of a culture of cells from tonsils.