What are the signs and symptoms of tonsillitis?
• Pain in the throat (sometimes severe) that may last more than 48 hours and be associated with difficulty in swallowing. The pain may spread to the ears. • The throat is reddened, the tonsils are swollen and may be coated or have white spots on them. • Possibly a high temperature. • Swollen lymph glands under the jaw and in the neck. • Headache. • Loss of voice or changes in the voice. If the sore throat is due to a viral infection the symptoms are usually milder and often related to the common cold. If due to Coxsackie virus infection, small blisters develop on the tonsils and roof of the mouth. The blisters erupt in a few days and are followed by a scab, which may be very painful. If the sore throat is due to a streptococcal infection, the tonsils often swell and become coated and the throat is sore. The patient has a temperature, foul-smelling breath and may feel quite ill. These different appearances are however very variable, and it is impossible to tell by looking at someone’s t
