The tonsils are placed in the back of the oral cavity at the passage to the throat. There is one tonsil in each side consisting of almond-shaped lymphatic tissue containing lymphocytes (white blood cells) which produce antibodies against pathogenic microorganisms. The tonsils are small at birth and reach their largest size at the age of 6 or 7 after which they decrease. The tonsils work as part of the defence against infection along with lymphatic tissue elsewhere; in the nose and in other places by the entrance to our airways.
Paradoxically, the same tissue meant to protect us from the microorganisms can itself be infected. And this exact thing is what happens in the case of tonsillitis.
Mostly children and youngsters suffer from tonsillitis. The symptoms start suddenly with having a sore throat when swallowing sometimes followed by a fever and headache. The pains rapidly increase and can radiate up to the ears. The voice can get hoarse and bad breath can also occur.
Usually, the throat and lymph nodes will swell just like the tonsils will swell and be red. The inflammation might cause the tonsils to have a yellowish-white coating covering them partially or completely. The fever; 38 - 40 degrees C (101.3 - 104 degrees F), normally will abate in a day's time. The disease normally only lasts for a few days. It is most prevalent in the spring and in summer.
If the tonsillitis is caused by a viral infection it could be a cold virus or the Epstein-Barr virus. One type of virus can result in blisters of the palate and tonsils which - when bursting after a couple of days - form painful wounds.
Generally the symptoms of tonsillitis caused by vira are milder and have a tendency to be over with quicker than tonsillitis caused by bacteria. Several types of bacteria can result in tonsillitis; e.g the diphtheria bacterium, but most often it will be caused by a streptococcal infection (Streptococcus viridans).
Being cold; e.g. having cold feet, that reflectorically also lowers the temperature in the mucosa of the throat is often blamed for inducing tonsillitis. To develop tonsillitis in these cases, however, it is a condition that the vira or bacteria are already present in the body; i.e. that infection has already taken place.
In case of chronic tonsillitis the tonsils are more or less infected with bacteria and pus causing a bad breath and a sustained unpleasant sensation in the throat.
Only rarely complications to tonsillitis arise; they can be sinusitis and inflammation of the middle ear. Very rarely it can spread backwards to the connective tissue to form a very painful boil that - if left untreated - can grow and block the windpipe.
If left untreated tonsillitis with complications can result in blood poisoning on account of the waste products of the bacteria, the toxins, which are very poisonous. Scarlet fever, for example, is caused by a rash due to streptococcus toxins. If left untreated a streptococcus infection might lead to rheumatic fever, encephalitis, and nephritis.
