Tonsillitis

Tonsils are the two round pads you see in the back of your mouth on either side of the throat. They are usually visible in children with the help of a light. The purpose of tonsils is to help fight infections when a child is first born, as part of your body’s lymphatic system. When the tonsils become inflamed from a viral or bacterial infection, it is known as tonsillitis. If the lymphoid tissue behind the nose also becomes inflamed this is known as adenoiditis.

Tonsillitis Symptoms

Symptoms of tonsillitis can vary depending on the cause of the infection and can occur suddenly or gradually. Below are the most common symptoms of tonsillitis. Keep in mind that every individual may experience symptoms differently.

Sore Throat
Fever
Headache
Decreased appetite
Nausea or vomiting
Stomach aches
Painful swallowing
Bad breath
Skin rash
Visible redness in the throat

Treatment of Tonsillitis

When there are repeated cases of tonsillitis a tonsillectomy is used to remove the tonsils. Removing the tonsils will help to alleviate further complications such as:

Sleep apnea
Trouble swallowing
Tumor in the throat or nasal passage
Bleeding from the tonsils that cannot be stopped
Blockage of the nasal passage or uncomfortable breathing

The surgeons at Northeast Georgia ENT use the Coblation system to remove tonsils. A physician may also recommend an adenoidectomy, this tissue behind the nose is also present. This cleanly and efficiently removes the tonsils and adenoids causing less trauma to the surrounding tissue, thus, reducing pain after surgery considerably.

Tonsillectomy Recovery

Typically, patients are able to go home the day of the surgery. Patients often experience pain in the throat, ears, jaw or neck after surgery. Throughout your recovery, be sure to take the recommended medications prescribed by your doctor. Drink plenty of water and eat easy-to-swallow foods for the first few days after surgery. Avoid spicy, hot or coarse foods. Eating popsicles can sooth pain and provide fluids.

You will be able to walk around the day after surgery, but do not take part in any vigorous activity and get plenty of bed rest. Once you no longer require pain medication and can return to a normal diet, you will likely be able to return to work. This may take 1-2 weeks.

Tonsillectomy Complications

Risks of a tonsillectomy include:

Dehydration
Bleeding during or after surgery
Infection
Risks associated with anesthesia

Complications from a tonsillectomy are rare. When they do occur, they may increase recovery time and hospital stay. At Northeast Georgia ENT, all of our physicians perform the tonsillectomy procedure with the coblation surgical scalpel. This device is considered to be the gold standard in instrumentation because of its superiority in speed, safety and pain control. By reducing the pain, we are able to minimize the recovery period.

Learn More

For more information on tonsillitis surgery, or if you would like to learn more about other procedures we perform at Northeast Georgia ENT, please contact us today. We also have information on post-op care for this procedure. We look forward to hearing from you soon.