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Tonsillitis or Sore Throat
November 11, 2009 |
It’s that nagging feeling in the back of your throat and it just doesn’t seem to
go away. How do you know if it’s just a plain old sore throat or something more
serious, like tonsillitis?
“Tonsillitis typically comes in bouts. For instance, if you have a chronic dry sore
throat that’s going on constantly, for months, it’s probably not tonsillitis,”
says Dr. James Newlon, an otolaryngologist on the medical staff of Lee Memorial Health
System. “Usually, if you have tonsillitis you can tell, because your tonsils will
hurt in the back of the throat. You can get that with or without fever, a lot of
inflammation. You feel bad.”
Tonsillitis occurs when the tonsils become infected by a virus or bacteria. This
sort of infection can happen at
any age and reoccurring problems could result in
a tonsillectomy.
“If you have three infections of tonsillitis per year, that’s documented, that’s
been going on for three years or more,” explains Dr. Newlon.
If your sore throat lasts for more than 48 hours or if you are experiencing abdominal
pain, vomiting, or neck pain, you need to see your doctor for treatment.
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