{"id":1662,"date":"2021-03-05T12:37:38","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T12:37:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/?p=1662"},"modified":"2021-03-05T12:37:38","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T12:37:38","slug":"tonsillitis-in-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/tonsillitis-in-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Tonsillitis in Children"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tonsillitis is an infection of one\u2019s tonsils &#8211; two glands on both sides at the back of the throat. They form part of the body\u2019s immune system and play a role in defending us against germs in the mouth. Anyone can get tonsillitis, but the disease is particularly common among children. It typically strikes when the child has a cold, with a cough and a runny nose. Teenagers who get glandular fever can develop severe tonsillitis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tonsils can be infected by bacteria or viruses. The former type is called bacterial tonsillitis. The difference is important since that determines the type of treatment that is required.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Symptoms of <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/pediatrician-plantation-florida\/\"><b>Tonsillitis in Toddlers<\/b><\/a><b> as Well as Older Children<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since a sore throat is one of the most typical symptoms of tonsillitis, parents often find it difficult to determine whether their child\u2019s sore throat could be tonsillitis or not. There are a couple of other symptoms that might also point to tonsillitis:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pain when the child tries to swallow<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tonsils that are swollen<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Redness in his or her throat<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pain in their ears. This is typically referred pain, but the doctor should check the ears since the child could also have a middle ear infection<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tender or swollen lymph nodes in the child\u2019s neck<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A runny nose or congestion<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pustules or blisters on the tonsils<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The child suffers from lethargy or fatigue<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A fever<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Unexplained stomach ache<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Loss of appetite<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bad breath<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Different Causes of Tonsillitis<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tonsillitis is typically caused by a virus. Examples include the flu, adenovirus, or Epstein-Barr virus. It can, however, also be caused by bacteria. The most common type of bacteria that causes tonsillitis is streptococcus, the same type that\u2019s behind the very common strep throat. It\u2019s very seldom that something other than an infection would cause tonsillitis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1664 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_1739825624-1.jpg\" alt=\"The little girl has a sore throat, chest\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_1739825624-1-200x150.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_1739825624-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_1739825624-1-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_1739825624-1-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_1739825624-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_1739825624-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_1739825624-1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>How Does a Physician Diagnose Tonsillitis?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your GP or podiatrist will do an examination and ask a couple of questions. They will also check the back of the throat, the inside of the mouth, and the neck. He or she might also collect a sample of the back of the throat and the tonsils with a soft cotton swab. This can then either be tested on the spot with a rapid strep test that takes only minutes to give a result, or it can be sent to a laboratory. The latter will take a couple of days before you know the outcome. If the rapid strep test shows no signs of strep, the GP or pediatrist will wait for the lab test for a final diagnosis.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Tonsillitis in Toddlers Treatment: Home Care<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s never a bad decision to take your child to a pediatrician or a GP if you suspect that he or she has tonsillitis. After the doctor\u2019s visit, however, most kids respond well to home care. Below are some tips on how to care for a child that has tonsillitis:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Give them ibuprofen or paracetamol for pain relief. Another good option is acetaminophen.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Make sure he or she gets lots of rest<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although technically the child is allowed to eat or drink anything, if he or she has a sore throat, they might prefer softer food<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Let him or her regularly gargle with salt water<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Throat lozenges will help soothe the throat<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Make sure they drink lots of fluid. This will help to make the throat feel less painful and dry and prevent the kid from becoming dehydrated.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If the physician prescribed antibiotics, make sure the child takes them as directed and does not stop before he or she has completed the full course &#8211; even if they feel much better after a couple of days. Stopping too soon can cause the infection to come back. Finishing the prescription will also help to prevent rheumatic fever, a much more serious complication that could damage the child\u2019s heart.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Keep your child at home until he or she no longer has a fever and can swallow easily and without pain. Tonsillitis in toddler recovery time is usually around three to four days.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Tonsillitis in Toddlers Treatment: Your GP or a Pediatrician<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you believe your kid suffers from tonsillitis and he or she has never had this disease before, it\u2019s best to take them to your family doctor or a pediatrician. If the child already had tonsillitis in the past and got well with home care, you do not necessarily have to go to the doctor if it happens again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If the kid (particularly a toddler) is extremely unwell, finding it hard to breathe, and drooling, immediately call an ambulance. The tonsils can sometimes become swollen to such an extent that it causes breathing problems. Your child could also have a serious inflammation of a flap in the throat known as the epiglottis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If he or she finds it hard to swallow, the GP or pediatrician might prescribe an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid medication such as prednisolone, combined with or in the place of antibiotics. This will help for the swollen tonsils.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Parents often expect the doctor to immediately prescribe an antibiotic. But since it\u2019s often a virus that causes tonsillitis, the doctor might prescribe something else because antibiotics don\u2019t work on virus infections.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In some cases, however, the child will have to get an antibiotic. These include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Where tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial infection<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your child has had rheumatic heart disease in the past<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is a complication, such as an abscess in the glands in the neck or behind the tonsils<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The child has a very serious form of tonsillitis, particularly if he or she also has a rash<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What antibiotics treat tonsillitis? Penicillin taken orally, typically for 10 days, is the antibiotic most prescribed by physicians for the treatment of tonsillitis in children, particularly if it\u2019s caused by group A streptococcus. Only if the kid is allergic to penicillin will the doctor prescribe a different antibiotic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1663 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_629735618-1.jpg\" alt=\"Woman doctor examining little girl mouth at office\" width=\"1000\" height=\"664\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_629735618-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_629735618-1-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_629735618-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_629735618-1-600x398.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_629735618-1-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_629735618-1-800x531.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/32\/2021\/03\/shutterstock_629735618-1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>Tonsillitis in Toddlers Treatment: Tonsillectomy<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If your child gets tonsillitis time after time or develops sleeping problems because of enlarged tonsils, the GP or pediatrician might advise a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/ency\/article\/003013.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">tonsillectomy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, i.e. a complete or partial removal of the tonsils. If the child suffers from obstructive sleep apnea, an adenoidectomy, as well as a tonsillectomy, will normally be recommended. A tonsillectomy is usually performed during a visit to outpatients. After the operation, you can expect your child to be able to return to normal activities within 7 to 10 days.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tonsillectomies used to be a very common surgery, but it has become much rarer. Nowadays your GP or pediatrist uses guidelines before making a decision on whether to treat the infection or remove the tonsils. A tonsillectomy is typically only considered if the kid has three sore throat episodes per year in three consecutive years, five episodes per year in two consecutive years, or seven episodes in any one year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Important: Take the child back to a GP or pediatrician if any of the following is true:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The child finds it difficult to swallow and develops symptoms of dehydration<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">He or she finds it hard to breathe and there is an increase in snoring when they sleep<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">He or she finds it difficult to open their mouth<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The child has a sore throat that becomes worse, particularly on one side. This might be a symptom of a peritonsillar abscess caused by bacteria spreading from one or both tonsils to the surrounding tissue, which then becomes filled with pus. The following could confirm that an abscess is most likely present: headache, fever, drooling, earache, a muffled voice. An abscess is usually treated in a hospital. It sometimes requires surgery to drain the pus.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You are concerned about something else. Trust your instincts. Better be safe than sorry.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We hope we have answered most of your questions about tonsillitis in children with this article. In case we missed something, please leave a comment down below and we will try to help. If your toddler is suffering from tonsillitis, be sure to make an appointment with us as soon as possible!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tonsillitis is an infection of one\u2019s tonsils &#8211; two glands on both sides at the back of the throat. They form part of the body\u2019s immune system and play a role in defending us against germs in the mouth. Anyone can get tonsillitis, but the disease is particularly common among children. It typically strikes when<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1665,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[21,6,164],"tags":[165,168,167,166],"class_list":["post-1662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-childrens-health","category-general-health","category-tonsillitis","tag-symptoms-of-tonsillitis-in-toddlers","tag-tonsillitis-in-toddler-recovery-time","tag-tonsillitis-in-toddlers-treatment","tag-what-antibiotics-treat-tonsillitis"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1662\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/worldwide-pediatrics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}