Tonsillities - Causes, Symptions, Remedies and Preventions

If you have tonsillitis, your throat usually hurts and it's hard to eat or drink or even swallow. You may also have a fever. Here are some other signs that bacteria or a virus is infecting your tonsils:

• redder-than-normal tonsils
• a yellow or white coating on the tonsils
• a funny-sounding voice
• swollen glands in the neck
• fever
• bad breath

Gargle every two to three hours with mint mouthwash. Be sure to get the mouthwash onto the back of your throat. See "How to Gargle."

Take aspirin if you are an adult, acetaminophen if you are a child. Suck on throat lozenges, especially those containing phenol, which help to numb the throat.

Stay hydrated. Drink iced beverages or suck on popsicles. Frozen liquids help numb the throat. Try hot teas with honey, and clear soups. For some people, warm beverages help relieve the pain of tonsillitis better than cold ones do.

Get plenty of rest.

Avoid cigarette smoke and other irritants.

Check your temperature at least twice a day. If you have a continuous fever, even a low-grade one of 99 degrees F, lasting more than two days, see your doctor. Tonsillitis or acute sore throat pain that lasts more than 48 hours, especially if accompanied by a fever, may be symptomatic of a strep infection, which requires treatment.

Let your doctor take a throat culture to identify the germs in your throat.
Ask about antibiotics, if your tonsillitis is caused by bacteria. Penicillin G is frequently prescribed.

Tonsillitis may cause the tonsils, which are visible at the back of the throat, to look red and enlarged. The tonsils may also have visible white or yellow spots or a thin coating. The symptoms of tonsillitis usually last four to six days.