Can You Get An Ear Infection From Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis Can Cause Quinsy Or Peritonsillar Abscess

If strep throat or tonsillitis does not go away , either type of infection can progress into an infection called tonsillar cellulitis. Tonsillar cellulitis can in some cases cause pus to accumulate around the tonsils, which is called peritonsillar abscess. This abscess in the space behind the tonsil can cause compression of the airway, which is very painful, Clark explains.

Symptoms of peritonsillar abscess include fever, throat pain, and even lockjaw. Its typically associated with just one side, so we look for asymmetry, explains Clark. When this occurs, we have to drain it to help relieve the infection, he adds.

How Is Tonsillitis Treated

In the vast majority of people, infection caused by a virus infection need only be treated with paracetamol to bring the temperature down. Aspirin is also useful, but should not be given to children under 16 years of age, unless on the advise of a doctor.

In a small minority of patients, tonsillitis caused by bacteria is treated with penicillin or erythromycin if the person is allergic to penicillin. If antibiotics are prescribed, it’s important to complete the full course, or the infection may not be cured.

Antibiotics are advisable for immunocompromised patients, eg those receiving chemotherapy.

Surgery to remove the tonsils may be necessary for those patients suffering from repeated, severe infections that refuse to respond to treatment and significantly interfere with their school or work schedule. But it’s now a relatively uncommon operation compared to previous practice.

Causes Of Enlarged Tonsils And Adenoids

or year-round allergies Year-Round Allergies Year-round allergies result from indoor exposure to airborne substances that are present throughout the year. The nose is congested, itchy, and sometimes runny… read more ), irritants, and, possibly, gastroesophageal reflux Gastroesophageal Reflux in Children Gastroesophageal reflux is the backward movement of food and acid from the stomach into the esophagus and sometimes into the mouth. Reflux may be caused by the infantâs position during feeding… read more also can cause the tonsils and adenoids to enlarge. Ongoing exposure to children who have bacterial or viral infections, such as children at child care centers, increases the risk of infection.

When enlarged, tonsils sometimes interfere with breathing or swallowing, and adenoids may block the nose or the eustachian tubes that connect the back of the throat to the ears. Usually, tonsils and adenoids return to normal size once the infection is over. Sometimes they remain enlarged, particularly in children who have had frequent or chronic infections. Although extremely rare, cancer sometimes causes enlarged tonsils or adenoids in children.

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What Causes Sharp Throat And Ear Pain

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Sharp throat and ear pain can be concerning for those experiencing it, and if you have it, you will want to figure out the cause so you can have peace of mind, as well as come up with an appropriate solution. A cold may be the cause, as this is the most common reason for this specific pain, but it can be due to other underlying things, too. Most of the time, a sore throat will pass in a few days. However, if it doesnt and you find your ears are also hurting, you may want to book an appointment with an ENT to get to the bottom of it.

Symptoms of sharp throat and ear pain may include:

• Mild to severe pain in the back of your throat
• A dry or scratchy feeling in your throat
• Pain when swallowing or talking
• Swollen glands in your neck or jaw
• Muffled hearing
• Feeling of fullness in the ear
• Fluid drainage from ear

You may also find that your symptoms are accompanied by a headache, fever or a general feeling of being unwell.

Adult Tonsillectomy Risks And Complications

A tonsillectomy is considered a safe procedure for adults. However, all surgery comes with risks. A 2014 report found that 1 in 5 adults who had their tonsils taken out had some kind of problem afterward. These included:

• Infection. This is rare, but itâs a small risk with most surgeries.
• Pain
• Pneumonia
• Too much bleeding from the wound . Itâs rare. You may also have bleeding as you heal.
• Swelling. In the first few hours after surgery, your tongue and the roof of your mouth may puff up, which makes breathing harder.

You’re a lot more likely to have one of these issues if you have:

• A history of pus collecting on your tonsils
• Another health problem
• Used antibiotics often in the past year

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Symptoms Of Ear Nose And Throat Infections

Ear, nose and throat infections are often caused by the same kinds of bacteria and viruses. However, the symptoms can be different depending on where the infection is located:

• Ear infections can cause earache, wax or discharge, hearing loss and balance problems.
• Nose infections are likely to cause a runny or blocked nose and sneezing. Infections that reach areas such as the sinuses can also cause other symptoms such as headaches.
• Throat infections can cause a sore or scratchy throat and pain or difficulty swallowing. You may also be able to feel swollen glands in your neck.

All three types of infections can also cause more general symptoms of infection, such as a fever, and it is common for infections to spread between these areas. For example, an infection that starts with a sore throat might start to cause other symptoms such as earache when it spreads from your throat to your ear.

What To Do When You Have An Earache And Sore Throat

• What to Do When You Have an Earache…

An earache and a sore throat can mean a number of thingsbut the combination of both may send you to the doctor.

Because an earache can indicate that you are dealing with strep throat or an ear infection, its important that you take the two seriously.

To help determine if you have strep throat, its imperative that you see a doctor. He or she can also help treat the illness with antibiotics before complications arise.

Heres everything you need to know about an earache accompanied by a sore throat so you can get back on the road to recovery quickly.

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Medical Issues To Consider Before Tonsillectomy

Before doing a tonsillectomy, your doctor will give you a complete physical check-up. The tonsil pad has a large blood supply, and special note will be taken whether you have any abnormal bleeding tendencies. Your doctor will check to see if your tonsils are actively inflamed and, if so, will prescribe antibiotics for a few weeks to control the infection before the surgery.

Alternative And Complementary Therapies For Tonsillitis

No supplements treat tonsillitis, although there is a lozenge that contains the probiotic BLIS K12 , that may help reduce the chance of getting tonsillitis,” says Tod Cooperman, MD, the president of ConsumerLab.com, an independent organization that reviews supplements and other types of products that impact consumer health, wellness, or nutrition. Research, however, suggests the probiotic may not yet have enough evidence for how and when it should be used.

A 2019 review published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection concluded that K12 was safe and well-tolerated and may potentially be beneficial in protecting children from throat infection. According to the authors, further randomized controlled studies are needed to establish whether K12 could be an alternative to antibiotics, as it is not likely to be effective if given along with antibiotics or if the probiotic could be used as a preventive treatment for people who get frequent bouts of tonsillitis.

Always talk with your doctor before trying a supplement because it may interact with other medications you are taking or have other side effects you should know about.

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Immediately After A Tonsillectomy Operation

After the operation you can expect:

• When you wake up, you will be lying on your side this is to prevent choking if any bleeding occurs from the tonsil pad
• A sore throat
• Pain-relieving medication, if necessary
• The nursing staff will regularly check your pulse, blood pressure, breathing rate and your throat for any signs of bleeding
• For the first four hours after the operation, you will probably not be allowed to have any food or liquids
• You may find it difficult to eat or drink, but you will be encouraged to do so the more often you use your throat, the better
• You can expect a hospital stay of just one day or so.

Can An Ear Infection Cause Swollen Tonsils

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Common Ear Nose And Throat Infections

When we talk about ear, nose and throat infections, we often do it in terms of the location of the problem rather than the specific viral or bacterial infection that is causing the problem. This is because infections in different areas tend to produce different symptoms. We can tell where the infection is based on these symptoms.

• Ear infections can be outer, middle or inner ear infections. Inner ear infections are less common as it is harder for viruses and bacteria to reach this part of the ear.
• Nasal infections often affect the nasal passages , but they can also affect connected areas like the sinuses .
• Throat infections can be named according to their location, for example tonsillitis in the tonsils or laryngitis in the larynx .

Sometimes the location of the infection is all we need to know in order to manage the symptoms. However, in some cases it may be possible to identify the specific infection that is responsible. Its particularly important to do this when the symptoms are severe, theres a chance that the infection could be bacterial, or other parts of your body are affected too.

Lots of different infections can affect your ears, nose, or throat:

Any part of the ears, nose and throat can be affected by many of the same viruses and bacteria. However, certain types of infection are more likely to happen in different areas and the symptoms can also be a little bit different, depending on exactly where the infection is located.

Why Does Your Throat Hurt On One Side

If your throat pain comes from only one side, it could be a sign of a different condition or unique illness.

As your body helps to fight germs , it can cause the lymph nodes to swell up and become sorewhich can result in pain on one side of the throat.

Postnasal drip is another cause of throat pain. As mucus and fluid drain down the back of the throat, it can lead to the feeling of soreness, specifically on one side.

Inflammation of one or more tonsil, more commonly called tonsillitis, is another common cause of one-sided throat pain. Fever, difficulty swallowing and noisy breathing are symptoms that typically accompany the illness.

If you experience gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERDa condition in which the contents of the stomach back up into the food pipeyou may experience throat pain as well.

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Can You Get Tonsillitis With No Tonsils

Tonsils, located at the back of your throat, are two masses of tissues that act as filters for trapping germs. They prevent germs from entering the airways and causing infection. They also produce antibodies to fight infections. Sometimes, however, the tonsils can get infected when they get overwhelmed by viruses or bacteria. When this happens, they become inflamed and swollen, leading to a condition called tonsillitis. Many people have had their tonsils removed and often wonder whether they can get tonsillitis without tonsils.

What Is The Treatment For Strep Throat

Strep throat is treated with an antibiotic medication. Antibiotics require a prescription from your doctor. You usually take antibiotics orally for about 10 days. The most common antibiotics for strep throat are:

• Penicillin
• Clindamycin
• Cephalosporin

It is very important to follow your doctors instructions and take the full course of antibiotics, even if you are feeling better after a couple of days. You must finish the antibiotics so the infection doesnt come back, get worse, or spread to another part of your body.

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How Long Tonsillitis Lasts

Symptoms will usually go away after 3 to 4 days.

Tonsillitis is not contagious, but most of the infections that cause it are, for example, colds and flu.

To stop these infections spreading:

• stay off work or keep your child at home until you or your child feel better
• use tissues when you cough or sneeze and throw them away
• wash your hands after coughing or sneezing

Can I Kiss Someone With Tonsillitis

Yes, you can spread tonsillitis through kissing. Tonsillitis can develop due to a virus or bacteria. Viruses and bacteria can spread through droplets from kissing, coughing, and sneezing. If you have tonsillitis, you should avoid kissing to prevent the spread of the virus or bacteria to another person.

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Sore Throats And Ear Infections In Children

Experts say that the anatomy and physiology of young children’s ears make them vulnerable to infection. The ear has three parts: the inner ear, the outer ear, and the middle ear. For infants and toddlers, the tube that leads from the nose to the middle ear, the Eustachian Tube, is different compared to an older child or an adult. This tube is horizontal, wider, and shorter in children. The shape of the Eustachian Tube in children makes it easier for germs to travel into the middle ear. When the tube is blocked, as is typical from the congestion of a cold or flu, the fluid that normally drains from the middle ear cannot exit. Bacteria or a virus can incubate in this build up, ultimately leading to an ear infection. The fluid that pushes on the eardrum is what causes ear pain. The younger a child is when he had his first ear infection, the more likely he will have repeated infections in the future. In general, more boys get ear infections than girls do.

Here are some symptoms to watch for in your children regarding sore throats and ear infections:

• Pain and tugging on the ears.
• Head shaking, especially when coupled with a fever.
• Problems sleeping .
• In addition, since sucking and swallowing are painful when a sore throat is present, your child may have trouble eating.
• In infants, sometimes irritability may be the only clue. Frequent crying and nasal discharge are also clues to look for when trying to diagnose a sore throat or ear infection in babies.

What Are The Types Of Middle

Infections can affect the middle ear in several ways. They are:

• Acute otitis media. This middle-ear infection occurs suddenly. It causes swelling and redness. Fluid and mucus become trapped inside the ear. You can have a fever and ear pain.

• Otitis media with effusion. Fluid and mucus build up in the middle ear after the infection goes away. You may feel like your middle ear is full. This can continue for months and may affect your hearing.

• Chronic otitis media with effusion. Fluid remains in the middle ear for a long time. Or it builds up again and again, even though there is no infection. This type of middle-ear infection may be hard to treat. It may also affect your hearing.

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What About Having My Tonsils Taken Out

If you have repeated tonsillitis you may wonder about having your tonsils removed. Guidelines suggest it may be an option to have your tonsils removed if you:

• Have had seven or more episodes of tonsillitis in the preceding year or
• Five or more such episodes in each of the preceding two years or
• Three or more such episodes in each of the preceding three years.
• And …
• The bouts of tonsillitis affect normal functioning. For example, they are severe enough to make you need time off from work or from school.

The adenoids may also be removed at the same time. The adenoids are also part of the body’s defence against infections . Adenoids hang from the upper part of the back of the nasal cavity. See the separate leaflet called What do tonsils do? for more details.

Although full-blown episodes of tonsillitis are prevented after tonsillectomy, other throat infections are not prevented. However, the overall number and severity of throat infections may be reduced. Also, the risk of developing quinsy is reduced. Many people say they generally feel better in themselves after having their tonsils removed if they previously had frequent episodes of tonsillitis.

Tonsillectomy is usually a straightforward minor operation. But, as with all operations, there is a risk. For example, there is a small risk of life-threatening severe bleeding from the throat during or just after the operation.

Why Choose Cooper To Treat Tonsillitis

As ear, nose, and throat specialists, Coopers team of otolaryngologists head and neck surgeons have extensive training and experience in treating adults with tonsillitis both medically and surgically. Should surgery be required, they use todays most minimally invasive techniques for less pain and faster recovery.

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