Tonsillitis is something that most of us know about but we do not give enough thought about it. This is a grave mistake since it affects a lot of us – especially adults. It is necessary to be aware of the causes and treatment of tonsillitis so that you can combat the disease effectively.
The condition of your tonsils swelling up is known as tonsillitis. The tonsils are composed of two delicate glands of tissue placed at the back of the throat. The function of these tissues is to stop the individual from contracting infection from viruses or bacteria – they constitute a segment of the immune system. At times, however, these pair of glands may themselves catch an infection and end up inflaming. This is tonsillitis and it is of two types: acute and chronic. The former will resolve in not more than a fortnight but the latter causes people to experience symptoms of the condition from time to time. Though usually seen amongst children and people belonging to a younger age, many adults, regardless of age, also do end up developing tonsillitis.
There exist a number of causes of tonsillitis, eespecially of the viral and bacterial kind. There are various kinds of viruses that are the reason behind a person suffering from tonsillitis. Some of them are the adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, enterovirus, cytomegalovirus and the Epstein-Barr virus to name a few. On the other hand, streptococcus pyogenes – the bacteria responsible for strep throat – is also sometimes found to be the cause of tonsillitis of the bacterial kind.
Additionally, you may develop tonsil stones. Your tonsil is composed of tunnels known as tonsil crypts. Dead cells, food, mucus etc. get deposited in these cryopts and become debris. Eventually, this debris solidifies into a tonsil stone. Commonly, people have no more than one stone but some people may have tinier segments of tonsil stone.
Symptoms:
Quite a few signs may indicate that you are suffering from tonsillitis.
Usually, tonsillitis is not something to be worried about too much as it is often can be easily treated at home. However, if you experience inflammation of the neck, inability to have power over your secretions, consequent inability to have food or drink fluids, extreme discomfort while swallowing, and trouble during respiration and change in speech – you must seek medical help and, that too, immediately.
Treatment:
Treatment for tonsillitis will depend on the kind and severity of the tonsillitis. If it is of the bacterial type, the throat specialist doctor will put you on antibiotics. However, if it is tonsillitis caused by a virus, then not much can be done other than to wait for the inflammation to wear off. Good rest and special diet is advised in such a case. In extreme cases of tonsillitis, however, the tonsils get inflamed highly and it is dangerous to your health. In such a case, tonsillectomy will have to be performed by a throat surgeon.
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