Tonsils are two small pads of tissue lying on the back of your inner throat. Tonsillitis is the term used to describe inflammation or swelling of tonsils. Swollen tonsils can cause irritation and discomfort on the throat and difficulty in swallowing foods. The tender lymph nodes on the sides of neck also get inflamed during tonsillitis. Common cause of tonsils is bacterial infection and it can be cured completely through medicines and surgery.
Symptoms :
The tonsils or tissue like tiny growth on the inner throat becomes red and swollen. Sore throat, discomfort while swallowing, fever, body pain, enlarged lymph nodes of the neck, and yellowish or white patches on the tonsils are some of the signs of swollen tonsils. The entire throat area becomes swollen and red making it difficult to eat anything. For some people it can cause muffled voice while talking due to pain and discomfort.
In young children it can cause stomachache and headache. You can detect tonsillitis if the child refuses to eat anything and becomes fussy for eating his favorite diet also.
Swollen Tonsils Causes :
Viral or bacterial infection causes swollen tonsils. Streptococcus Group A often is the reason for inflammation on the tonsils area. Sometimes other strains of bacteria can also cause infection. Swollen tonsils or tonsillitis is very rare among adults and is common in young children. During young age, the body’s immune system is weak and responds in the way of swollen tonsils when the body gets infected with bacteria or virus in the mouth. It is the defense mechanism that cause swelling on the tonsils and inner throat of the oral cavity.
This condition is largely seen on preschool children and middle aged children. Another possible reason for getting tonsillitis is the increased exposure to outside food and close contact with other infectious children. In very rare cases, if the treatment and antibiotic remedies are not given properly for tonsillitis it can cause rheumatic fever which is a condition of inflammatory disorder affecting joints and tissues of the heart.