Treatment for Tonsillitis:

Treatment for Tonsillitis:

While most cases of tonsillitis can be treated at home or by a primary care physician, emergency care may be needed in severe cases. Go to the emergency room if you or your child have extreme difficulty swallowing (i.e., can’t swallow saliva), have difficulty breathing, or feel very sick. Intravenous fluids may be necessary for children who have become dehydrated because of their inability to swallow fluids.

Contact your doctor any time you or your child have a sore throat or other symptoms of tonsillitis that cause more than minor problems such as mild fever or headache. Call your doctor if pain relievers have not improved your fever, or if a sore throat is preventing you or your child from drinking an adequate amount of fluid. You should also call your doctor if other symptoms have not improved in 24 hours. In most cases, the doctor will recommend an office visit or self-care.

Most cases of tonsillitis improve within a few days. However, you can hasten recovery by resting and modifying your diet to avoid irritating your throat. Because a sore throat makes some foods hard to swallow, drink plenty of liquids, and eat soft, bland foods including soup, ice cream, and popsicles. Either warm (but not hot) fluids—such as tea with honey or hot chocolate—or very cold fluids such as milkshakes can help soothe the throat. Soft drinks such as ginger ale are also acceptable, but avoid orange juice, lemonade, or other acidic drinks that could irritate the throat. Older children and adults can gargle every few hours with warm, salty water (use 1/4 teaspoon of salt in 4 oz of water). You can also use a cool-mist humidifier to increase the amount of moisture in the air.

You should stay in bed or pursue quiet activities as long as you are feeling unwell so that your body will have time to heal. Viral tonsillitis may last as little as 24 hours, and most people recover within a week.

Cases of bacterial tonsillitis may take longer to cure. Symptoms such as fever and sore throat usually improve within a week, although a complete recovery may take closer to two weeks. It is probably not be necessary to remain in bed after the first few days of treatment.

Over-the-counter medications can reduce pain and relieve fever. If you have viral tonsillitis, antibiotics will not help, and the condition will usually be left to run its course. In this case, use over-the-counter medications for pain relief.

Use a product such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen (i.e. Tylenol or Advil) for pain relief and fever reduction. Follow the dosage recommendations on the package, which are based on age and weight, or follow your doctor's instructions. Do not give products containing aspirin to children or teens unless your doctor recommends this type of medication. In this age group, aspirin is associated with a condition called Reye's syndrome, which is potentially fatal.

Throat lozenges may be used for adults and children over the age of four to reduce the discomfort of a sore throat. Hard candy such as butterscotch may have a similar soothing effect, but neither candy nor lozenges should be given to young children who may accidentally swallow them and choke.