Tonsillitis, also described as pharyngitis, refers to inflammation of the pharyngeal tonsils, which are lymph glands located in the back of the throat that are visible through the mouth.
Typically, tonsillitis happens suddenly (acute). Some patients experience recurrent acute episodes of tonsillitis, while others develop persistent (chronic) tonsillitis.
Tonsillitis is often caused by viral or bacterial infection (see “What Causes Tonsillitis?” below). Tonsillitis is common in children; most children in the United States experience at least one episode. Antibiotics help treat bacterial tonsillitis, and have significantly reduced complications such as rheumatic fever, a noncontagious acute fever that causes inflammation, especially of the heart, blood vessels, and joints.
What Are the Symptoms of Tonsillitis?
Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes, but the type of tonsillitis determines what symptoms may occur.
Acute tonsillitis—Tonsillitis most often occurs in children, but rarely in those younger than two-years-old. Symptoms of acute tonsillitis include:
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Bad breath
- Difficulty swallowing (called dysphagia)
- Painful swallowing (called odynophagia)
- Dehydration
- Tender lymph nodes in the neck
- Mouth breathing, snoring, or sleep apnea
- Tiredness, lethargy, and malaise
- White patches, pus, and/or redness of the tonsils
A fine red rash over the body suggests that scarlet fever may be complicating a case of tonsillitis. These symptoms usually clear up in three to four days, but may last up to two weeks, even with therapy. Some patients experience recurrent acute tonsillitis in which symptoms return shortly after completing antibiotic therapy.
Chronic tonsillitis—Symptoms of chronic tonsillitis include:
- Chronic sore throat
- Bad breath
- Tonsil stones (debris that has collected on your tonsils)
- Persistently tender lymph nodes in the neck
Peritonsillar abscess—Peritonsillar abscess is a severe case of tonsillitis in which an abscess or pocket of pus develops around the tonsil. It is usually found in adolescents and adults, but can occur occasionally in children. Symptoms of peritonsillar tonsillitis include:
- Fever
- Severe throat pain
- Drooling
- Difficulty opening the mouth (called trismus)
- Muffled voice quality
- One tonsil may appear larger than the other