Tonsillopharyngitis symptoms include a sore throat, cough, fever and a runny nose. It can last for several days or a week, but most of the time it clears up on its own after treatment with antibiotics.
Your tonsils are two masses of tissue at the back of your throat that trap germs and produce antibodies to fight infection. They help keep your body healthy, but when they become infected with viruses or bacteria, the swelling and redness can cause serious problems.
Symptoms of tonsillopharyngitis vary, depending on what caused it and how long it has been going on. The most common symptoms are a sore throat and a runny nose, but you might also have other signs, such as a rash or stomachache.
To diagnose tonsillitis, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and perform a physical exam. They may use a soft cotton swab to gently collect a sample from your throat for testing. The results will help them decide the best treatment for you.
The most common cause of tonsillitis is a virus, such as a cold or the flu. If the tonsillitis is caused by a virus, your doctor might prescribe antiviral medicine to get rid of the virus and relieve your symptoms.
Your doctor might also want to take a throat culture to see if the infection is caused by bacteria. This will be done by swabbing your throat and sending it to a lab for testing. If the test is positive, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to kill the bacteria and prevent complications like ear infections or cellulitis (inflammation of the tissues around the tonsils).
Bacterial tonsillitis: Strep throat is a type of tonsillitis that is commonly caused by Group A Streptococcus, or GAS. This type of tonsillitis can cause a fever and other symptoms, such as sore throat, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, and earaches.
You can get strep throat from coming into contact with someone who has it, such as kissing, sharing utensils or food, or inhaling the sneezes or coughs of people who have strep throat.
In addition to strep throat, other bacteria can also cause tonsillitis. The most common bacteria are Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A streptococcus. Other bacteria can cause tonsillitis, too, such as adenovirus, Haemophilus influenzae and Staphylococcus aureus.
The main symptom of GAS-related tonsillitis is a sore throat. You might also have other symptoms, such as a fever, redness and swelling of the tonsils and throat, swollen lymph nodes or a fine, red rash over the body.
To confirm the diagnosis of strep throat, your doctor might do a quick test, called a rapid strep test. This is usually done in the physician’s office.
If the strep test is negative, part of the throat swab will be kept for a throat culture. A throat culture can show if strep is the cause of your sore throat within 2 to 3 days.
Symptoms of bacterial tonsillitis can be very similar to those of a viral sore throat, but it is important to make the right diagnosis. Your doctor might want to do a strep test and throat culture, which can identify GAS in just a few days.
