Tonsillitis is an
acute or
chronic inflammation of the tonsils,
located near the back of the tongue. (The adenoids, lymph glands located behind the nose, are often simultaneously inflamed.) Tonsillitis, which
usually develops suddenly as a result of a streptococcal
infection but may also be caused by a viral infection, is characterized by sore throat, fever, chills, headache, poor appetite, and weakness. The
tonsils become swollen and red, with streaks of pus often visible on their surface. Acute
Tonsillitis usually clears up in about a week, but antibiotics are often administered to prevent complications such as middle-ear and sinus infections, formation of deep abscesses, spread of infection to other organs, and chronic tonsillitis. In chronic tonsillitis the tonsils tend to flare up in episodes of acute infection; the usual treatment is surgical removal. Tonsillitis is more common in children than in adults.
More abstracts about the TONSILLITIS