Tonsillitis symptoms | Causes tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is when the tonsils — fleshy pads on each side of the back of the throat — become infected with a virus or bacteria. A common childhood ailment, tonsillitis causes the tonsils to become swollen and painful.
Causes: When bacteria and viruses enter your body through your nose or mouth, your tonsils act as a filter — engulfing the offending organisms in white blood cells. This can cause a low-grade infection in your tonsils. Tonsillitis occurs when the infection gets more serious, and the tonsils become painful and inflamed.

Most cases of tonsillitis are caused by viruses, including the virus that causes mononucleosis (the Epstein-Barr virus). In other cases, tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial infection. When tonsillitis is due to a specific type of bacteria (group A streptococci), the illness is also referred to as strep throat. Warning signs that your symptoms may be caused by strep throat include a sudden onset of pain and inflammation, tender lymph nodes in your neck, a high fever and a lack of nasal congestion. If tonsillitis is caused by strep throat or another bacterial infection, you may need treatment with antibiotics. However, most cases of tonsillitis are caused by a virus and not bacteria, and the only treatment is home care.

Symptoms tonsillitis:
Red, swollen tonsils
White patches on the tonsils
Sore throat
Difficult or painful swallowing
Headache
Fever and chills
Enlarged, tender glands (lymph nodes) in the jaw and neck
Loss of voice (laryngitis)
Abdominal pain in children

When bacteria and viruses enter your body through your nose or mouth, your tonsils act as a filter — engulfing the offending organisms in white blood cells. This can cause a low-grade infection in your tonsils. Tonsillitis occurs when the infection gets more serious, and the tonsils become painful and inflamed.

Most cases of tonsillitis are caused by viruses, including the virus that causes mononucleosis (the Epstein-Barr virus). In other cases, tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial infection. When tonsillitis is due to a specific type of bacteria (group A streptococci), the illness is also referred to as strep throat. Warning signs that your symptoms may be caused by strep throat include a sudden onset of pain and inflammation, tender lymph nodes in your neck, a high fever and a lack of nasal congestion. If tonsillitis is caused by strep throat or another bacterial infection, you may need treatment with antibiotics. However, most cases of tonsillitis are caused by a virus and not bacteria, and the only treatment is home care.
When left untreated, swollen tonsils can block normal breathing (airway obstruction), leading to sleep apnea and a number of other health problems.

Untreated tonsillitis can also lead to a collection of pus between a tonsil and the soft tissues around it (abscess). The abscess may cover a large part of the soft area at the back of the roof of the mouth (soft palate). Rarely, the abscess may spread into the bloodstream or into the neck or chest.

Some strains of streptococcal bacteria that cause strep throat leading to tonsillitis can also cause kidney inflammation (nephritis) or rheumatic fever, a serious condition that can affect the heart, joints, nervous system and skin.