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Tonsillitis

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment

Symptoms:

• Difficulty swallowing
• Ear pain
• Fever , chills
• Headache
• Sore throat - lasts longer than 48 hours and may be severe
• Tenderness of the jaw and throat
• Voice changes, loss of voice

Signs and tests:

The health care provider will look in the mouth and throat for enlarged, visible tonsils. They are usually reddened and may have white spots on them. The lymph nodes of the jaw and neck may be enlarged and tender to the touch.

A culture of the tonsils may show bacterial infection. A culture for the streptococcus bacteria (strep) may be taken because it is the most common and most dangerous form of tonsillitis. A rapid strep test may also be performed by your physician by taking a throat swab for a quick diagnosis.

• Review Date: 1/30/2007
• Reviewed By: Ravindra Uppaluri, MD. Otolaryngologist, Private Practice, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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