Tonsils sit at the back of your throat, behind the tongue, and catch bacteria and viruses before they get into the body. Tonsillitis is when the tonsils become infected by the bacteria or a virus.
When this happens, tonsils get sore, red, and swollen. It may be hard to swallow and kids may have a fever. Doctors do tests to find out if a virus or bacteria caused the infection.
For bacterial infection, the doctor can give antibiotics to get rid of it. When a virus is the problem, kids just have to take it easy until their tonsils gets better.
Kids who get tonsillitis a lot, or who don't get better after antibiotics, might need surgery to remove the tonsils.
Sites 3
Loading new listings for you to review...
- eMedicine Health: Tonsillitis Explains the causes, symptoms, and treatment, with advice on when to seek medical care.
- Doctor Secrets: Tonsillitis Simple explanation and pictures of infected tonsils.
- KidsHealth: Tonsillitis Answers questions about tonsils, how they get infected, and how it is treated.