Tonsils are a vital part of your child's immune system but sometimes they can truly be obstructive of their daily activities in the event that they get severely infected. Tonsils act as the first line of defense against bacteria and viruses, trapping the germs at the back of the mouth while our immune system gets to work. Generally, a painful and sore throat occurs followed by a high fever during a case of tonsillitis.
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.
Since tonsillitis is quite a common occurrence especially with children under 10 years of age, you do not have to worry too much as it will pass and it is not life threatening. However you will need to make sure the child's fever does not run too high as that can caught severe brain and organ damage. Paracetamol is a good way to keep the fever down while drinking a lot of water is vital. While eating and swallowing will be difficult, you can help your child by giving him or her foods that are easy to take down and digest. Yogurt, oatmeal, porridge and some bread are all great examples of this. Most children love ice-cream and this is the perfect time for them to have it, as having something cold will ease the swelling of the tonsils. As tonsillitis can either be caused by bacteria or a virus, you should quarantine your child during this period and prevent him or her from coming into close contact with other children as the infection might spread.
If the condition persists for more than 4-5 days, it is recommended that you take your child to the doctor to have her checked out. This is especially true for toddlers as their immune system might not be as strong as older children. A visit to the doctor will be a painless procedure and he will usually do a cotton swab test where a sample of skin cells and saliva are taken at the back of the mouth and send to the laboratory for further examination just in case something more serious is at hand. A common treatment for bacteria infected tonsils is a dose of antibiotics where the treatment will last for several days. Usually, the infection would have subsided by then and all would be well. Just a note on taking antibiotics: be sure you have your child consume the pills exactly as prescribed and that the treatment is taken in full, even if he or she recovers beforehand.
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.
While the tonsillectomy is a quick procedure, your child might or might not be required to be hospitalized overnight depending on his or her condition and if the anesthesia has worn off or not. Be prepared as your child might cry a lot because of the exposed flesh in the wounded area - it will really hurt to swallow anything, even liquids. It will take approximately 7 to 10 days for the pain to subside.
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.
Since tonsillitis is quite a common occurrence especially with children under 10 years of age, you do not have to worry too much as it will pass and it is not life threatening. However you will need to make sure the child's fever does not run too high as that can caught severe brain and organ damage. Paracetamol is a good way to keep the fever down while drinking a lot of water is vital. While eating and swallowing will be difficult, you can help your child by giving him or her foods that are easy to take down and digest. Yogurt, oatmeal, porridge and some bread are all great examples of this. Most children love ice-cream and this is the perfect time for them to have it, as having something cold will ease the swelling of the tonsils. As tonsillitis can either be caused by bacteria or a virus, you should quarantine your child during this period and prevent him or her from coming into close contact with other children as the infection might spread.
If the condition persists for more than 4-5 days, it is recommended that you take your child to the doctor to have her checked out. This is especially true for toddlers as their immune system might not be as strong as older children. A visit to the doctor will be a painless procedure and he will usually do a cotton swab test where a sample of skin cells and saliva are taken at the back of the mouth and send to the laboratory for further examination just in case something more serious is at hand. A common treatment for bacteria infected tonsils is a dose of antibiotics where the treatment will last for several days. Usually, the infection would have subsided by then and all would be well. Just a note on taking antibiotics: be sure you have your child consume the pills exactly as prescribed and that the treatment is taken in full, even if he or she recovers beforehand.
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.
While the tonsillectomy is a quick procedure, your child might or might not be required to be hospitalized overnight depending on his or her condition and if the anesthesia has worn off or not. Be prepared as your child might cry a lot because of the exposed flesh in the wounded area - it will really hurt to swallow anything, even liquids. It will take approximately 7 to 10 days for the pain to subside.
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