Tonsillitis Symptoms: How to Identify and Treat

Tonsillitis occurs when a viral or bacterial infection causes the tonsils – immune-fighting glands at the back of the mouth – to become inflamed. You get a sore throat causing pain on swallowing and possibly earache, and you may be able to see or feel that one side of the throat is larger from the outside.

Your tonsils will likely look red, possibly with some white dots (pus) on them. You might have a high temperature, headache and feel generally pretty unwell.

Children and young adults are more likely to suffer tonsilitis. Most infections are viral and therefore don’t respond to antibiotics – they get better on their own after about a week. Viral tonsilitis can often go with general symptoms of a cold, such as a runny or blocked nose and a cough.

Some things make a sore throat or tonsillitis more likely to be bacterial, which may need antibiotics to help your body recover. If you have no symptoms of a cold such as a cough, if you have a fever higher than 38 degrees, swollen lymph nodes in your neck, white spots on a very large tonsil, or symptoms have developed quickly, within 24 hours, this makes a bacterial infection more likely.

When your doctor is deciding whether the cause is viral or bacterial, they will sometimes use evidence-based scores that help to decide the likelihood of bacterial infections. If the cause is likely viral, antibiotics won’t help - the infection will get better on its own.

The majority of tonsillitis cases will improve on their own however it is important to stay hydrated and rest to help your body fight the infection. You can take over-the-counter pain relief to help with any pain and your pharmacist can advise you on this. Your pharmacist can also advise you on lozenges and throat sprays to help with a sore throat.