Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsContagiousnessSymptomsCausesDiagnosisComplicationsTreatmentPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Contagiousness
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Complications
Treatment
Prevention
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How Does Tonsillitis Spread?
The infections that cause tonsillitis are spread through respiratory droplets from coughing,sneezing, or sharing food or drinks. Tonsillitis is also contagious through kissing. Close contact with a sick individual raises the risk of tonsillitis.
But these infections may not always cause tonsillitis itself. When you are exposed to the germs that cause them, you may develop cold and flu symptoms alone, or you may develop tonsillitis alongside or without other symptoms.
Incubation Period for Tonsillitis
The incubation period is the time between exposure to an infection and developing symptoms.
The incubation period for viral tonsillitis can range from one to six days, depending on which virus is responsible for the infection.The incubation period for the bacterial infection that causes tonsillitis is two to five days.
How Long Are You Contagious With Tonsillitis?
People with tonsillitis are likely contagious about one to two days before they develop symptoms. Individuals with viral tonsillitis are contagious until their symptoms resolve. Individuals with bacterial tonsillitis are contagious until they have been onantibiotictreatment for 12 to 24 hours.
What Is Tonsillitis?
Tonsillitis often causes a very sore throat. You may feel pain whenswallowing. Thetonsilscan become very red and swollen, which may also cause difficulty breathing. Other symptoms of tonsillitis may include:
When Is Tonsillitis an Emergency?In some cases, tonsillitis can become serious. See a healthcare provider right away if you or your child have any of the following symptoms:Difficulty swallowing or breathingA fever of higher than 102°F that lasts longer than 48 hoursSevere pain that does not improve with OTC pain relieving medicationSigns of dehydration such as dark urineA rash
When Is Tonsillitis an Emergency?
In some cases, tonsillitis can become serious. See a healthcare provider right away if you or your child have any of the following symptoms:Difficulty swallowing or breathingA fever of higher than 102°F that lasts longer than 48 hoursSevere pain that does not improve with OTC pain relieving medicationSigns of dehydration such as dark urineA rash
In some cases, tonsillitis can become serious. See a healthcare provider right away if you or your child have any of the following symptoms:
How Long Does Tonsillitis Last?
Tonsillitis symptoms may last from a few days to a week. See your healthcare provider if your symptoms do not start to resolve after a few days. If your healthcare provider prescribes an antibiotic, you will likely start feeling better after a day or two.
What Causes Tonsillitis?
Viral Causes
Can COVID-19 Feel Like Tonsillitis?BothCOVID-19and tonsillitis can cause a sore throat. If you are unsure which virus is causing your symptoms, consider taking a COVID-19 test.
Can COVID-19 Feel Like Tonsillitis?
BothCOVID-19and tonsillitis can cause a sore throat. If you are unsure which virus is causing your symptoms, consider taking a COVID-19 test.
Less common causes of viral tonsillitis include:
Bacterial Causes
Your healthcare provider will likely recommend a rapidstrep testto determine if your illness has a viral or bacterial cause. If this test comes back positive, then you have strep throat. Thecause of strep throatis bacterial.
With the rapid strep test, there is a risk of a false negative. This is why your healthcare provider may recommend a throat culture if your strep test is negative.
During a throat culture, your healthcare provider will swab the back of the throat and the tonsils, then send the specimen to the lab for testing. Results usually come back within 24 hours.
Tonsillitis Complications
Bacterial tonsillitis can lead to serious complications when left untreated, including:
Treatment for tonsillitis depends on the underlying cause.
Viral Tonsillitis Treatment
Viral tonsillitis usually resolves on its own and does not require medical treatment. Tonsillitis can lead to dehydration because of painful swallowing. For this reason, hydration and pain relief are important when recovering from tonsillitis.Home remedies for viral tonsillitisinclude:
Bacterial Tonsillitis Treatment
Bacterial tonsillitis is often treated with antibiotics to shorten the duration and prevent complications. Antibiotics used to treat bacterial tonsillitis include:
Surgery
If you or your child have been experiencing recurrent bouts of tonsillitis, your healthcare provider may discuss surgery with you.Tonsillectomyis a surgical procedure to remove the tonsils and can help resolve recurrent tonsillitis. You may be a candidate for a tonsillectomy if you experience:
Tips to Prevent Tonsillitis
The viruses and bacteria that cause tonsillitis are very contagious. While it may not always be possible to prevent infection, lower your risk with these steps:
If you have tonsillitis, avoid going to work or school until your symptoms have resolved or you have been on antibiotics for at least 24 hours.
Summary
Tonsillitis refers to theinflammationof the tonsils, two small glands located at the back of the throat. A bacterial or viral infection causes tonsillitis. These germs are highly contagious. Common tonsillitis symptoms usually include a sore throat, fever, painful swallowing, and fatigue.
Tonsillitis is most common in school-age children and adolescents. Viral tonsillitis usually resolves independently, and bacterial tonsillitis may require treatment with antibiotics.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Pernica JM, Goldfarb DM, Sawiec P, Mrukowicz J, Szenborn L.Pharyngitis (tonsillitis).McMaster Textbook of Internal Medicine. Kraków: Medycyna Praktyczna; 2024.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for group a streptococcal pharyngitis.Mitchell RB, Archer SM, Ishman SL, et al.Clinical practice guideline: tonsillectomy in children (update)-executive summary.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;160(2):187-205. doi:10.1177/0194599818807917American Academy of Pediatrics.Strep throat, sore throat or tonsillitis: What’s the difference?National Library of Medicine.Tonsillitis.American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.Tonsillitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sore throat basics.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Pernica JM, Goldfarb DM, Sawiec P, Mrukowicz J, Szenborn L.Pharyngitis (tonsillitis).McMaster Textbook of Internal Medicine. Kraków: Medycyna Praktyczna; 2024.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for group a streptococcal pharyngitis.Mitchell RB, Archer SM, Ishman SL, et al.Clinical practice guideline: tonsillectomy in children (update)-executive summary.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;160(2):187-205. doi:10.1177/0194599818807917American Academy of Pediatrics.Strep throat, sore throat or tonsillitis: What’s the difference?National Library of Medicine.Tonsillitis.American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.Tonsillitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sore throat basics.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Pernica JM, Goldfarb DM, Sawiec P, Mrukowicz J, Szenborn L.Pharyngitis (tonsillitis).McMaster Textbook of Internal Medicine. Kraków: Medycyna Praktyczna; 2024.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for group a streptococcal pharyngitis.Mitchell RB, Archer SM, Ishman SL, et al.Clinical practice guideline: tonsillectomy in children (update)-executive summary.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;160(2):187-205. doi:10.1177/0194599818807917American Academy of Pediatrics.Strep throat, sore throat or tonsillitis: What’s the difference?National Library of Medicine.Tonsillitis.American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.Tonsillitis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sore throat basics.
Pernica JM, Goldfarb DM, Sawiec P, Mrukowicz J, Szenborn L.Pharyngitis (tonsillitis).McMaster Textbook of Internal Medicine. Kraków: Medycyna Praktyczna; 2024.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical guidance for group a streptococcal pharyngitis.
Mitchell RB, Archer SM, Ishman SL, et al.Clinical practice guideline: tonsillectomy in children (update)-executive summary.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;160(2):187-205. doi:10.1177/0194599818807917
American Academy of Pediatrics.Strep throat, sore throat or tonsillitis: What’s the difference?
National Library of Medicine.Tonsillitis.
American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.Tonsillitis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sore throat basics.
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