how to fight the ‘closed throat’

Inflamed glands and tonsils, fever, bad breath and pain when swallowing. Know the main symptoms of tonsillitis and learn how to treat it.

THE tonsillitis is characterized by an inflammation in the tonsils. As a rule, it is easily treated through the use of medication.

Depending on the severity of the inflammation, treatment may vary from using anti-inflammatory drugs to antibiotics🇧🇷

In this sense, get to know the different types of tonsillitis and the forms of medication associated with them.

Tonsillitis: everything you need to know

What is tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis is an inflammation in the tonsils that ends up causing some discomfort, namely the so-called sore throat. The tonsils are a mass of lymphoid tissue and are located in the throat.

One of the main purposes of the tonsils is to protect the throat region from the entry of any microorganisms that are harmful to the body.

However, if the immune system is weakened, tonsillitis may occur. Incubation time is one to three days and is more common in winter.

main symptoms

Many of the symptoms are common to pharyngitis:

• sore throat;
• bad breath;
• fever;
• dry cough;
• pain when swallowing and breathing;
• hoarseness;
• loss of appetite, especially in children;
• redness in the throat;
• increased volume of the tonsils;
• formation of a white mucous membrane or plaques of pus;
• inflammation of the lymph nodes in the neck.

Treatment

Children are one of the main risk groups. This is due to the fact that their immune system is still relatively fragile and also that nurseries and kindergartens are spaces conducive to the spread of viruses.

Thus, it is also around this age that the so-called tonsillectomy🇧🇷 However, this is a surgical intervention that only occurs when tonsillitis is very frequent.

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Viral or bacterial tonsillitis?

A distinction must be made between viral and bacterial tonsillitis. THE viral tonsillitis is the most common and is generally treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol, and can also complement the treatment with gargling water and salt.

To do this, just add a tablespoon of salt to the water and gargle. However, if symptoms persist three days after starting treatment, it is best to consult your doctor.

In case it is a bacterial tonsillitisgreater vigilance is necessary, since it is characterized by high fever and visible pus, those white patches, in the area of ​​the tonsils.

In this case, it is necessary to resort to antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or penicillin. It is important to bear in mind that this form of tonsillitis is more contagious than the viral one.

In this sense, people with poorer health should avoid contact.

Article originally published December 2021. Updated November 2022.