What should you know about follicular tonsillitis causes?

Viruses can irritate the throat and tonsils as part of a wider respiratory illness. Bacterial infection, including Strep Throat, may cause a more focused throat illness with swollen, spotty tonsils. Fever, sore throat, swollen neck glands and earache can occur with either type, so symptoms overlap. A clinician considers the examination and, when indicated, a throat test rather than relying on the spots alone. Smoke, dry air or reflux may irritate the throat, but they do not by themselves explain every case of inflamed tonsils.

Keep fluids within reach and choose foods that are easy to swallow. Rest and avoid smoking or smoky rooms while the throat settles. Use suitable pain or fever medicine according to the label and your clinician’s advice. Do not use leftover antibiotics: the correct choice depends on whether a bacterial cause is suspected and on your medical history. A GP Consultation is useful when symptoms are marked, recurrent or difficult to interpret.

Get urgent help for breathing difficulty, inability to swallow saliva, rapidly increasing swelling, a muffled voice or difficulty opening the mouth. Seek prompt assessment when drinking is not possible, urine becomes much less frequent, or a high fever persists with worsening throat pain. A child who is floppy, confused or struggling to breathe needs emergency care.

Which causes fit my symptoms and examination? Would a throat test change treatment? Could a medicine or irritant be worsening my throat? How should I reduce spread at home?