Health Topics for Child Health and Development

UI Children's Hospital

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Divisions Within the Department of Pediatrics

Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders

Tonsillitis and tonsillectomy

The tonsils are lymph nodes that produce special white cells and antibodies that fight nose and throat infections. They keep the infection in the throat from spreading to the neck or bloodstream. There are two tonsils located in the back of the throat, one on either side that look like reddish, oval-shaped masses. When the tonsils swell and turn red, this is known as tonsillitis.

Sore throat and strep throat are often used interchangeably with tonsillitis, but are not the same thing. A sore throat or strep throat may or may not inflame the tonsils. Viruses often cause sore throats while bacteria cause strep throat. Both can cause tonsillitis, but the medical care is different for each.

Tonsillitis is very common among children and can affect adults as well. The symptoms are similar to the flu. They include sore throat, headache, fever and chills, and sore glands of the jaw and throat. There may be pus on the tonsils. Seek medical evaluation if there is severe pain, drooling, difficulty breathing, marked difficulty swallowing and if the symptoms last longer than 48 hours.

Treatment includes rest and plenty of soothing fluids. Gargling with warm, salted water several times a day helps to lessen the pain. Children should take an aspirin substitute like acetaminophen. If a bacterial infection is causing the sore throat, an antibiotic may be prescribed.

When tonsillitis interferes with a child's health, surgery to remove the tonsils may be needed. This is called a tonsillectomy.

A tonsillectomy may be required when:

• enlarged tonsils make it hard to swallow, breathe, or both

• many episodes occur in one year of severe sore throat with a strep infection or illness

• an abscess forms near the tonsil

• tonsillitis persists for 6 months despite antibiotics or

• enlarged and tender neck lymph nodes exist for 6 months despite antibiotics

The surgical procedure is simple. The child may be sent home a few hours after surgery or hospitalized for a day or two. A very sore throat will last for a few days after the operation. Fewer throat infections will occur after the tonsils are removed.

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