Understanding Tonsillitis - Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms?

For tonsillitis:

• A very sore throat with red, swollen tonsils; there may be a white discharge or spots on the tonsils.
• Swollen and tender lymph nodes in the neck under the jaw
• A low-grade fever and headache accompanying the other symptoms

For tonsillar abscess:

• In addition to inflamed tonsils, severe pain and tenderness around the area of the soft palate, at the roof of the mouth, and difficulty swallowing
• Distinctively muffled speech, as if the child is speaking with a mouthful of mashed potatoes, caused by swelling from the abscess

Call Your Doctor If:

• Your child has symptoms of tonsillitis.
• Your child has trouble breathing at night or experiences noisy breathing or episodes of sleep apnea, in which the child stops breathing for brief periods while asleep; these symptoms may indicate adenoid problems or overgrown tonsils.
• Your child has recurrent bouts of tonsillitis; surgery may be indicated.
• Your child is not responding to antibiotics and has fever or pain, as well as white spots or a discharge on the tonsils; this may indicate mononucleosis or another infection.

Anyone with tonsillitis who is drooling, unable to drink or swallow or has any difficulty breathing should go to a hospital's Emergency Department for evaluation.