Tonsillitis

Inflammation of the tonsils as a result of infection. Tonsillitis mainly occurs in children under age 9. Sometimes the tonsils become repeatedly infected by the microorganisms they are supposed to protect against. The main symptoms are a sore throat and difficulty in swallowing. The throat is visibly inflamed. Other common symptoms are fever, headache, earache, enlarged and tender lymph nodes in the neck, and bad breath. Occasionally, there may be temporary deafness or quinsy (an abscess around the tonsil). Tonsillitis is treated with plenty of fluids and an analgesic drug such as paracetamol; in some cases antibiotic drugs may also be prescribed.