How can you cure tonsillitis quickly? - Which? News - Which?
Tonsils are part of our immune system that helps us fight infection, but sometimes these glands can become infected or inflamed themselves, leading to tonsillitis.
Read on to find out what you can do if your little one comes down with this common illness.
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Is tonsillitis contagious?
Tonsillitis isn't contagious, but the viruses or bacteria that can lead to it are.
In other words, when your child picks up a cold virus - Streptococcus A bacteria (Strep A) or another common illness-causing bug - it may cause tonsillitis, or it could just cause them to have a cold, flu or other mild illness instead.
Children are particularly prone to tonsillitis because their tonsils are large and therefore a target for infection, whereas by adulthood tonsils tend to disappear almost completely as the body uses other ways to fight infection.
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What are tonsillitis symptoms?
Telltale signs include:
- Red tonsils, possibly with white spots or even pus that partly or completely covers them
- Sore throat, painful swallowing and tender lymph glands in the neck
- Temperature of 38°C or higher
- Headache and earache
- Coughing
- Feeling tired and sick
- Bad breath
Your child's sore throat might not be tonsillitis at all, but a basic viral sore throat, a bacterial sore throat or even the result of a non-infectious cause such as hay fever - find out more in our guide to sore throat remedies.
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How long does tonsillitis last?
Having tonsillitis can be really miserable so you may be wondering how long your baby or child - and you - have to put up with it, and also whether you can speed up the recovery.
Although you can't expedite the process (because you're just waiting for the body to fight the virus), the good news is tonsillitis usually gets better after three or four days.
However, ENT UK - the professional body of ear, nose and throat surgeons - says that occasionally it can last up to two weeks.
In some cases a severe case of tonsillitis may be a symptom of glandular fever, which is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. It's most common in teenagers and young adults and your GP may recommend a blood test.
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What's the best tonsillitis treatment?
Treat it yourself
Most cases of tonsillitis generally improve on their own and won't need treating, but there are ways to make your little one more comfortable in the meantime:
- Provide cool and warm drinks to soothe the throat. Keeping fluid levels up will also help the body fight infection. Give soft foods that are easy to swallow rather than ones that might scratch the tonsils.
- Use a throat spray. An antiseptic over-the-counter throat spray may give temporary relief from a painful throat, but ask your pharmacist for one that's suitable for your child's age.
- Take painkillers. Paracetamol, Calpol or ibuprofen can be used to both deal with the pain and to bring down a temperature.
- Make sure they get plenty of rest. This gives the immune system a chance to fight off infection.
- Consider vitamin D. A 2023 study in the journal Scientific Reports concluded that low vitamin D may play a role in chronic (recurrent) tonsillitis and that supplementing vitamin D in the diet may help to reduce occurrence in children who are susceptible to repeated bouts of tonsillitis. Find out more about children and vitamin D.
While someone in your household has tonsillitis, it's important to limit the spread of infection of the virus or bacterium that has caused it. Encourage regular hand-washing, coughing or sneezing into tissues, and make sure that children don't share drinks or eat from the same crockery as someone who is known to be infected.
Visit your GP
One in three tonsillitis cases is caused by bacteria rather than a virus, so if the illness hasn't shifted after three or four days, or your child's symptoms are severe or even worsening, they may need antibiotics.
Signs of severe tonsillitis include white spots or pus on the tonsils (rather than just redness), an accompanying ear infection, sinus infection or chest infection, or the development of an abscess between one of the tonsils and the throat wall (known as 'quinsy' or peritonsillar abscess).
Your GP may take a swab to confirm if the tonsillitis is bacterial and you'll get these results back within two or three days, although they may start a course of antibiotics before that if they feel it's necessary.
If your child is prescribed antibiotics for their sore throat, make sure they finish the entire course, even if they start to feel better part-way through.
Tonsil removal
The option to remove the tonsils in a procedure called a tonsillectomy may be offered in cases where the tonsillitis is recurrent and is getting in the way of your child's normal life.
Official guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) states this may be suggested if there have been more than seven episodes in a year, five per year for two years, or three per year for three years.
A tonsillectomy comes with risks such as severe bleeding from the throat during or just after the procedure, throat infection in the two weeks after the operation and damage to teeth, lips and gums from the instrument used to keep your mouth open during the operation.
The procedure isn't a cast iron guarantee that your little one won't be ill again - although complete tonsil removal means they shouldn't get tonsillitis again, they may still get throat infections such as strep throat or a sore throat from a cold or flu.
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