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Tonsillitis
Does chronic tonsillitis cause headaches?
Chronic tonsillitis generally does not cause headaches, as the main cause of chronic tonsillitis is repeated inflammation of the tonsils. The primary symptoms are sore throat and a sensation of a foreign body in the throat. Some people may also experience snoring and breathing through the mouth while sleeping, but overall, the main manifestations of this disease are in the throat area, so the clinical symptoms are primarily those related to the throat. Generally, it does not lead to headaches. If there is a cold, sinusitis, or rhinitis accompanying it, headaches may occur. However, the specific causes of the condition should be assessed by visiting an otolaryngology department to determine and apply the correct treatment.
How to completely cure chronic tonsillitis?
The definitive treatment for chronic tonsillitis mainly involves surgical removal. Before undertaking the surgery, doctors will conduct a strict assessment to see if there are indications for surgery. Common indications include repeated episodes of chronic tonsillitis, acute outbreaks, or the formation of a peritonsillar abscess, under which circumstances surgery is strongly recommended. Repeated episodes are defined as more than four occurrences per year, at which point surgery should be considered. Furthermore, if the tonsils are so large that they interfere with swallowing, speech, or breathing, such as causing snoring or unclear speech, surgery should also be considered. Moreover, chronic tonsillitis can lead to other diseases since the tonsils are an immune organ, and prolonged chronic inflammation might trigger certain immune-related diseases, such as chronic nephritis, skin diseases, and psoriasis. In such cases, the relevant departments will advise patients to first visit an otolaryngology (ENT) department to have the tonsils removed, which is beneficial for further treatment of the related diseases. Additionally, if the tonsils exhibit signs of benign growths with chronic inflammation leading to lymphatic tissue hyperplasia and cyst formation, surgical removal is recommended to achieve a definitive cure.
How many days of fever for chronic tonsillitis?
Chronic tonsillitis generally does not cause fever, but if chronic tonsillitis has an acute attack, it may cause fever. This situation is mainly due to an acute bacterial infection, with common symptoms including sudden sore throat, swollen tonsils, and pus formation, which may be accompanied by fever. Generally, the duration of the fever varies from person to person, typically around 3 days. During the acute episode, timely medicinal treatment should be considered, primarily with antibiotics. If the body temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius, fever-reducing medications should be considered. It is also necessary to monitor the patient's blood routine and temperature fluctuations, with regular check-ups.
Is chronic tonsillitis contagious?
Chronic tonsillitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the tonsils, mainly due to repeated attacks of acute tonsillitis or the presence of a chronic infectious focus in the teeth and oral cavity, which prevents acute tonsillitis from being actively cured and then gradually develops and prolongs into chronic tonsillitis. Since it is a chronic inflammation, it should be noted that it generally is not contagious. Even acute tonsillitis has relatively weak contagiousness. In clinical treatment, chronic tonsillitis is mainly treated symptomatically with traditional Chinese medicines that clear heat and detoxify. In summary, chronic tonsillitis is not contagious.
Symptoms of acute tonsillitis
Acute tonsillitis is an acute infectious disease of the tonsils, primarily caused by bacterial infection. Clinically, it mainly manifests as pain in the throat area, and sometimes the pain is very severe, even radiating to the base of the ears and down to the jaw. Additionally, there might be systemic symptoms such as loss of appetite, overall lethargy, weakness in the limbs, fever, night sweats, and chills. Generally, the presence of systemic symptoms indicates a severe infection of tonsillitis, requiring treatment through intravenous fluids. Clinical examinations can reveal enlarged tonsils, congested surfaces, and the presence of pin-point-like gray or white purulent secretions.
Treatment course for acute tonsillitis.
Acute tonsillitis is an acute, infectious inflammation of the tonsils, primarily caused by bacterial infection. For the treatment of acute tonsillitis, we mainly adopt antibiotic treatment for infection. The general course of treatment lasts 7-10 days, especially for acute suppurative tonsillitis, which may even extend to about 10-14 days. Clinically, we primarily administer cephalosporin antibiotics to control the infection. If the infection is severe, we may even opt for infusion therapy to counter the infection. During the infusion, we can administer some corticosteroids such as dexamethasone to treat concurrently, enhancing the anti-inflammatory effect. Clinically, we should pay attention to drinking plenty of water and eating a light diet, avoiding spicy and irritating foods.
How is chronic tonsillitis treated?
The treatment of chronic tonsillitis mainly involves two aspects. The first is conservative treatment, which means paying attention to regular physical exercise to enhance the body's resistance, avoiding environments with smoke and alcohol, and avoiding spicy and irritating food. The purpose of this approach is to prevent acute attacks of chronic tonsillitis. The other method is surgical treatment. Surgical treatment requires adherence to certain criteria for chronic tonsillitis surgery, commonly including repeated occurrences of more than four times a year, the formation of peritonsillar abscesses, and cases affecting breathing, phonation, or swallowing functions. Additionally, surgery is needed when chronic inflammation of the tonsils leads to conditions such as inflammatory granulomas or hyperplasia.
How to treat acute tonsillitis?
Acute tonsillitis is mainly caused by an acute bacterial infection, with the most common symptoms being sudden throat pain, and significant redness and congestion of the tonsils, which may also include pus formation if severe. In terms of treatment, oral medication is primarily preferred, generally focusing on antibiotics, and may include nebulization as well as traditional Chinese oral medications. If inflammation is particularly severe and oral medications are ineffective, infusion therapy may be considered. Some patients may also experience fever, thus requiring physical cooling methods, and if the temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius, antipyretic medications should be considered, along with regular blood tests.
Acute tonsillitis signs and symptoms
The symptoms of acute tonsillitis are quite varied, with the most common symptom being pain in the tonsil area. Clinically, sudden onset of redness and pain in the tonsil area may occur, and in severe cases, there might also be fever, or swallowing or breathing difficulties. Overall, it is considered a common illness. Upon examination, the mucous membranes of the throat can be observed to have acute congestion, and the tonsils may be red and swollen to a first or second degree. In more severe cases, there might be third-degree swelling, and some patients may experience purulent infections in the tonsil area, which would require consideration for timely antibiotic treatment and regular follow-up examinations.
How to treat chronic tonsillitis?
Chronic tonsillitis is a chronic inflammation of the tonsils, with clinically subtle symptoms, or a sensation of a foreign body in the throat, which can lead to recurrent acute attacks. The clinical treatment of chronic tonsillitis mainly focuses on local treatments, or treatments with traditional Chinese patent medicines. Local treatment may involve the use of oral rinses, local nebulization inhalation, as well as some heat-clearing and detoxifying Chinese patent medicines, such as Ban Lan Gen oral liquid, Pu Di Lan oral liquid, and others that can be used for treatment; some lozenges may also be used. Apart from medication, during the chronic phase of chronic tonsillitis, due to the recurrent acute attacks of tonsillitis, surgery to remove the tonsils can be considered to prevent repeated acute attacks and subsequent secondary damage. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a clinical doctor, according to specific conditions.)