Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils at the sides of your throat. It's a common childhood illness, but teenagers and adults can get it too.
Symptoms
Tonsillitis can feel like a bad cold or flu. The tonsils at the sides of your throat will be red and swollen. Symptoms in children and adults can include:
- a sore throat
- problems swallowing
- a high temperature
- coughing
- a headache
- feeling and being sick
- earache
- feeling tired
- swollen, painful glands in your neck (feels like a lump on the side of your neck)
- pus-filled spots or white patches on your tonsils
- bad breath
Home remedies
- Get plenty of rest
- Drink cool drinks to soothe the throat
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen (do not give aspirin to children under 16)
- Gargle with warm salty water (children should not do this)
Pharmacy relief options
- Lozenges containing a local anaesthetic, antiseptic or anti-inflammatory medicine
- Throat sprays
- Antiseptic solutions
When to seek medical advice
- The symptoms of tonsillitis do not go away within 1 week
- You keep getting throat infections
- You have pus-filled spots on your tonsils
- You have a sore throat so painful it's difficult to eat or drink
A doctor can usually tell if it's tonsillitis by asking about your symptoms and looking in your throat.
Adapted from Tonsillitis
