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.
Tonsillitis can be somewhat contagious so you should keep your child away from other children and the rest of the family as much as possible. It’s a good idea to use disposable napkins during this time, and don’t forget to change the pillow cases and bed sheets as well. A case of tonsillitis usually triggers a high fever that only lasts a couple of days at most so during this time, be sure to keep your child’s temperature under control – Tylenol is a good enough. Avoid giving aspirin to children who are sick as there has been a few cases Reyes syndrome reported (look it up on the internet if you have never heard of it). In the mean time, your child’s diet can be made up of any soft foods that will not further irritate the throat whilst being easy to swallow. Remember to keep hydration levels up with plenty of fluid intake during the recovery phrase.
In the event that you do not see an improvement in your child’s condition, a clinical examination might be needed. Your doctor will usually take some saliva and bacterial samples from the back of the throat to determine the severity of the infection. This is either done by cotton swabbing the back of the mouth or via a rapid strep test to quickly diagnose your child for streptococcus infections. In most cases, antibiotics are prescribed to treat the bacteria and your child should be feeling better within a day or two. In some rare cases, the bacterial infection may be so bad antibiotics will not help much and if that’s the case further tests will need to be done to conclude if other steps need to be taken. This might be tonsil-removal surgery or a stronger antibiotic treatment.
If the infection is viral, there is nothing you or your doctor can do except to let the virus run it’s course and in the meantime boost your child’s immune system with strong doses of vitamin c. In the event of a viral throat infection, expect the severity of the symptoms to subside after about 5 to 7 days. Meanwhile, it is important that your child gets adequate rest during this time whilst refraining from vigorous activity. Make sure she drinks plenty of water as well to keep from dehydrating as high fevers generally cause lots of fluid-loss.
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.
The child will not be able to eat solid foods for around a fortnight after the operation as the surgical area will be pretty raw. In the meantime, you may feed him soft foods, plenty of fluids and maybe some toast to help keep the raw skin from building up puss. Everything should be back to normal once recovered.
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Tags: Advise, Health, illnesses, kids health, sore throat, tonsillitis