Tonsils are the two lymph nodes located on each side of the back of your throat. They function as a defense mechanism, helping to prevent infection from entering the rest of your body. When the tonsils themselves become infected, the condition is called tonsillitis.

Causes of Tonsillitis

Tonsils are your first line of defense against illness and they produce white blood cells to help your body fight infection. The tonsils combat bacteria and viruses that enter your body through the mouth, but are vulnerable to infection from these invaders themselves.

Tonsillitis can be caused by a virus, such as the common cold, or by a bacterial infection, such as strep throat.

Symptoms of Tonsillitis

There are many symptoms of tonsillitis, but you are unlikely to have them all. The most common include:

- a very sore throat
- difficulty swallowing or painful swallowing
- a scratchy-sounding voice
- bad breath
- fever
- chills
- earaches
- stomach aches
- headaches
- a stiff neck
- jaw and neck tenderness (due to swollen lymph nodes)
- tonsils that appear red and swollen
- tonsils that have white or yellow spots

Treatment for Tonsillitis

A mild case of tonsillitis does not necessarily require treatment, particularly if it is caused by a virus, such as a cold.

Treatments for more severe cases of tonsillitis may include:

- Antibiotics: Antibiotics will be prescribed to fight a bacterial infection. It is important that you complete the full course of antibiotics. Your doctor may want you to schedule a follow-up visit to ensure that the medication was effective.

- Tonsillectomy: Surgery to remove the tonsils is called a tonsillectomy. This was once a very common procedure. However, tonsillectomies today are only recommended for people who experience repeated tonsillitis, tonsillitis that does not respond to other treatment, or tonsillitis that causes complications.