14 Possible Symptoms of Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is a condition marked by inflammation of the tonsils. The tonsils are two pads of tissue that you find on the back of the throat. When you have tonsillitis, it is usually because either a bacterial or viral infection is gotten in an enlarged and inflamed the tonsils. In the past, doctors opted to remove the tonsils when they became infected, but as new research showed that the tonsils actually did a great deal in protecting the body from infection, this is rarely practiced today.

Symptoms of tonsillitis are often very similar to symptoms of a cold. Most commonly, it will be children somewhere between the age of four and 14 that will experience an infection of the tonsils and need to be treated for it. Let’s take a look at eight of the possible symptoms of tonsillitis that are out there so you a better understanding of whether or not your child has this particular condition.

1. White or Yellow Patches on the Tonsils

One symptom you might want to look for is white or yellow patches on the tonsils. Many of the symptoms the will find here are similar to cold symptoms. While this means that they are usually minor is not particularly painful or uncomfortable, it also means that it can be difficult to distinguish tonsillitis from the common cold or flu. That’s why it is helpful to have a diagnostic test the can do it home to determine whether it is tonsillitis or some other illness.

This symptom works particularly well for that. Use a flashlight and a tongue depressor or similar item to take a look in your child’s throat. You can expect the tonsils to be red and inflamed if the condition is tonsillitis, but a dead giveaway is going to be white or yellow patches on the tonsils. Unfortunately, this is not a symptom that it appears with every tonsillitis infection.