Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Bad Breath
Nausea
Bleeding
Swollen Tongue
Swollen Uvula
White Scabs
Other Symptoms
Symptoms and Risks
Bad breathafter atonsillectomy, a surgery to remove yourtonsils, is a common symptom you or your child may experience during recovery.A swollen uvula or tongue, nausea, and pain are also common.
A tonsillectomy procedure may done if you or your child experiences frequent infections, or because of large tonsils that contribute tosnoringorsleep apnea.
This article discusses what to expect after having your tonsils removed. It will help you to know if you need to see your healthcare provider for your symptoms or can manage them at home with ice chips, cool liquids, and soft foods.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Bad Breath After Your Tonsils Are Out
Your bad breath may last up to two weeks.Keep in mind thattonsil stones(clumps of debris trapped in pockets of the tonsils) and chronically inflamed tonsils also cause bad breath, so it’s likely that you’ll have an overall improvement once you’ve healed from your surgery.
You can try gargling with a salt solution (1/2 teaspoon of table salt in 8 ounces of water) or chewing gum to deal with both the pain and bad breath. Don’t use over-the-counter mouthwashes, though, because they are likely to dry your throat out.
How to Get Rid of Lingering Bad Breath
Nausea and vomitingcan happen as a side effect of medications given during the procedure, such as anesthetic and pain medication. Up to 50% of children who undergo a tonsillectomy will experience nausea and/or vomiting without medications to help reduce this common side effect.
Vomiting is especially concerning after a tonsillectomy because it is associated with additional problems like dehydration and electrolyte disturbances. It is also possible to aspirate (breathe in) stomach contents when you vomit after surgery. People who experience this side effect may have a longer hospital stay or be readmitted later on.
Bleeding is common after tonsillectomy. Bleeding that occurs within 24 hours of surgery is called primary bleeding. If bleeding occurs after the first 24 hours, it’s called secondary bleeding.
Primary bleeding occurs in .1% to 5.8% of tonsillectomies in children, while secondary bleeding occurs in .2% to 7.5% of cases.
Bleeding may be described as minor or excessive. Hemorrhage, the most serious type of bleeding, is life-threatening and requires emergency medical care.In severe cases, bleeding can be fatal.
If you have bleeding, you may feel the need to swallow frequently. When you do, you may feel a trickle of blood in the back of your throat. If you experience frequent swallowing or can feel blood in your throat, call your healthcare provider.
Your healthcare provider may advise you to keep an eye on minor bleeding at home. Excessive bleeding requires readmission to the hospital for additional care such as surgery or cauterization and a blood transfusion.
Having aswollen tongueis typical in the first few days after surgery. Your tongue was exposed to manipulation during your tonsillectomy, such as suctioning and repositioning. This can cause it to feel sore and swollen. A thick white film on the tongue is also common after surgery.
Inflammation can also spread from the area where your tonsils were to other parts of the throat.
Your healthcare provider will likely prescribe pain medication. To make your tongue feel better, try:
Ice cream and popsicles are top pain relief choices for children as they heal, according to studies of various comfort-food remedies.That said, it’s important to follow instructions from your healthcare provider after your tonsils are removed.
You don’t need to call a healthcare provider unless tongue swelling becomes severe enough that you have difficulty talking, swallowing, or breathing, or if the swelling does not get better on its own.
Youruvulais the flap of tissue that hangs in the back of your throat. It helps you swallow and speak. It will likely be sore and look red. After you have your tonsils taken out,swelling of your uvulahappens for the same reasons your tongue hurts: It got bumped during the surgery, or inflammation spread to it.
Drinking cool fluids and eating ice chips can help. When you are ready to eat, start with easy-to-swallow, soft, cold foods like yogurt, pudding, and scrambled eggs.
Call your healthcare provider if you start:
These might be signs that the swelling is blocking your airway.
Avoid anything hot, spicy, or crunchy that could irritate your uvula and throat.
After surgery, you may see white scabs or a yellow film on the site where your tonsils were. Don’t worry as the scabs usually go away within five to 10 days.
However, call your healthcare provider if you notice bright red streaks of blood coming from where your tonsils were or if there’s a green tint. These symptoms could be signs of bleeding or an infection.
Bleeding After a Tonsillectomy Is an Emergency
It may take up to two weeks to recover from a tonsillectomy.Some of the other symptoms you can expect during recovery include:
For most children, the pain usually resolves in about eight days.Adults tend to experience pain for longer than children do, with some still reporting moderate pain on the 14th day after surgery.
It’s also important to watch for signs of infection. A low-grade fever is normal during the first few days after surgery.Contact your provider for a fever over 101 degrees F in children and adults.
Risk of Complications
Certain activities and habits after tonsillectomy may increase your risk for complications. Some of these include:
Eating soft or cold foods can reduce pain. You may also be advised to follow a restricted diet and limit physical activity to help reduce the risk of complications after surgery.
Recent research, however, suggests that these restrictions may not affect your recovery.Still, it is always best to discuss diet and exercise following tonsillectomy with your healthcare provider and follow their recommendations.
What Is a Low-Grade Fever?
Plan on taking a week or two to recover fully. Your healthcare provider will want to check you within a couple of weeks to make sure you are healing. Keeping this appointment and following any post-surgery instructions are essential.
Will Tonsillectomy Affect My Voice?You may experience a short-term change in your voice after surgery, but there don’t appear to be long-term changes in adults.Some studies in children suggest that tonsillectomy improves the airway and makes vocalization easier and better.
Will Tonsillectomy Affect My Voice?
You may experience a short-term change in your voice after surgery, but there don’t appear to be long-term changes in adults.Some studies in children suggest that tonsillectomy improves the airway and makes vocalization easier and better.
How Long Does It Take to Recover From a Tonsillectomy?
Summary
After a tonsillectomy, you may experience pain, swollen tongue and uvula, white scabs where your tonsils were, and bad breath.
These are all normal changes that will go away as your throat heals. Call your healthcare provider if you think you’re bleeding in the back of the throat or if you have a fever over 101 degrees F.
A Word From VerywellThis article covers the majority of common issues that you may encounter after tonsillectomy, however, there are some rarer possibilities to watch out for, including subcutaneous emphysema and Eagle’s syndrome. Be sure to consult with your healthcare provider about all of these potential issues.—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
This article covers the majority of common issues that you may encounter after tonsillectomy, however, there are some rarer possibilities to watch out for, including subcutaneous emphysema and Eagle’s syndrome. Be sure to consult with your healthcare provider about all of these potential issues.—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
This article covers the majority of common issues that you may encounter after tonsillectomy, however, there are some rarer possibilities to watch out for, including subcutaneous emphysema and Eagle’s syndrome. Be sure to consult with your healthcare provider about all of these potential issues.
—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
16 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.Aljfout Q, Alississ A, Rashdan H, Maita A, Saraireh M.Antibiotics for post-tonsillectomy morbidity: Comparative analysis of a single institutional experience.J Clin Med Res. 2016;8(5):385-8. doi:10.14740/jocmr2523wMitchell RB, Archer SM, Ishman SL, et al.Clinical practice guideline: Tonsillectomy in children (update).Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;160(1_suppl):S1-S42. doi:10.1177/0194599818801757Nationwide Children’s. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.Ferguson M, Aydin M, Mickel J.Halitosis and the tonsils: a review of management.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014;151(4):567-74. doi:10.1177/0194599814544881.University of Mississippi Medical Center.Home care after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy - adult.Flubacher P, Fournier N, Cherpillod J, Waridel F, Nydegger M, Albrecht E.A randomised controlled trial of placebo, droperidol or ondansetron to prevent nausea and vomiting after tonsillectomy in children receiving dexamethasone.Anaesthesia. 2017;72(7):859-863. doi:10.1111/anae.13907Wall JJ, Tay KY.Postoperative tonsillectomy hemorrhage.Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2018;36(2):415-426. doi:10.1016/j.emc.2017.12.009Al Sebeih K, Hussain J, Albatineh AN.Postoperative complications following tonsil and adenoid removal in Kuwaiti children: A retrospective study.Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2018;35:124–128. doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2018.09.024.Albeladi MA, Salamah MA, Alhussaini R.The effect of ice cream intake on pain relief for patients after tonsillectomy.Cureus. 2020;12(7):e9092. doi:10.7759/cureus.9092.Kinthala S, Kumar Areti Y.Airway obstruction and inability to ventilate due to swollen uvula following adenotonsillectomy in a three-year old child.West Indian Med J.2014;63(2):211-2. doi:10.7727/wimj.2012.309Wang YP, Wang MC, Lin HC, Lee KS, Chou P.Tonsillectomy and the risk for deep neck infection-a nationwide cohort study.PLoS One.2015;10(4):e0117535. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117535Alm F, Lööf G, Blomberg K, Ericsson E.Establishment of resilience in a challenging recovery at home after pediatric tonsil surgery-Children’s and caregivers' perspectives.Paediatr Neonatal Pain.2021;3(2):75-86. doi:10.1002/pne2.12051Álvarez Palacios I, González-Orús Álvarez-Morujo R, Alonso Martínez C, Ayala Mejías A, Arenas Brítez O.Postoperative pain in adult tonsillectomy: Is there any difference between the technique?Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;69(2):187-193. doi:10.1007/s12070-017-1058-9Manica D, Sekine L, Abreu LS, et al.Influence of dietary and physical activity restriction on pediatric adenotonsillectomy postoperative care in Brazil: A randomized clinical trial.Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2018;84(2):191-195. doi:10.1016/j.bjorl.2017.01.007Atan D, Apaydın E, Özcan KM, İkincioğulları A, Çetin MA, Dere H.Does tonsillectomy affect voice in early or late postoperative periods in adults?J Voice. 2017;31(1):131.e5-131.e8. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2015.11.023.Liu X, Zheng Y, Tian P, Yang J, Zou H.The impact of tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy on voice: acoustic and aerodynamic assessments.J Voice. 2015 May;29(3):346-8. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2014.08.014.Additional ReadingAmerican Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.Tonsillectomy in children: Update to guidelines for treating and managing care.Reckley LK, Fernandez-Salvador C, Camacho M.The effect of tonsillectomy on obstructive sleep apnea: an overview of systematic reviews.Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:105-110. doi:10.2147/NSS.S127816.Windfuhr JP.Serious complications following tonsillectomy: how frequent are they really?ORL. 2013;75(3):166-173. doi:10.1159/000342317
16 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.Aljfout Q, Alississ A, Rashdan H, Maita A, Saraireh M.Antibiotics for post-tonsillectomy morbidity: Comparative analysis of a single institutional experience.J Clin Med Res. 2016;8(5):385-8. doi:10.14740/jocmr2523wMitchell RB, Archer SM, Ishman SL, et al.Clinical practice guideline: Tonsillectomy in children (update).Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;160(1_suppl):S1-S42. doi:10.1177/0194599818801757Nationwide Children’s. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.Ferguson M, Aydin M, Mickel J.Halitosis and the tonsils: a review of management.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014;151(4):567-74. doi:10.1177/0194599814544881.University of Mississippi Medical Center.Home care after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy - adult.Flubacher P, Fournier N, Cherpillod J, Waridel F, Nydegger M, Albrecht E.A randomised controlled trial of placebo, droperidol or ondansetron to prevent nausea and vomiting after tonsillectomy in children receiving dexamethasone.Anaesthesia. 2017;72(7):859-863. doi:10.1111/anae.13907Wall JJ, Tay KY.Postoperative tonsillectomy hemorrhage.Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2018;36(2):415-426. doi:10.1016/j.emc.2017.12.009Al Sebeih K, Hussain J, Albatineh AN.Postoperative complications following tonsil and adenoid removal in Kuwaiti children: A retrospective study.Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2018;35:124–128. doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2018.09.024.Albeladi MA, Salamah MA, Alhussaini R.The effect of ice cream intake on pain relief for patients after tonsillectomy.Cureus. 2020;12(7):e9092. doi:10.7759/cureus.9092.Kinthala S, Kumar Areti Y.Airway obstruction and inability to ventilate due to swollen uvula following adenotonsillectomy in a three-year old child.West Indian Med J.2014;63(2):211-2. doi:10.7727/wimj.2012.309Wang YP, Wang MC, Lin HC, Lee KS, Chou P.Tonsillectomy and the risk for deep neck infection-a nationwide cohort study.PLoS One.2015;10(4):e0117535. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117535Alm F, Lööf G, Blomberg K, Ericsson E.Establishment of resilience in a challenging recovery at home after pediatric tonsil surgery-Children’s and caregivers' perspectives.Paediatr Neonatal Pain.2021;3(2):75-86. doi:10.1002/pne2.12051Álvarez Palacios I, González-Orús Álvarez-Morujo R, Alonso Martínez C, Ayala Mejías A, Arenas Brítez O.Postoperative pain in adult tonsillectomy: Is there any difference between the technique?Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;69(2):187-193. doi:10.1007/s12070-017-1058-9Manica D, Sekine L, Abreu LS, et al.Influence of dietary and physical activity restriction on pediatric adenotonsillectomy postoperative care in Brazil: A randomized clinical trial.Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2018;84(2):191-195. doi:10.1016/j.bjorl.2017.01.007Atan D, Apaydın E, Özcan KM, İkincioğulları A, Çetin MA, Dere H.Does tonsillectomy affect voice in early or late postoperative periods in adults?J Voice. 2017;31(1):131.e5-131.e8. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2015.11.023.Liu X, Zheng Y, Tian P, Yang J, Zou H.The impact of tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy on voice: acoustic and aerodynamic assessments.J Voice. 2015 May;29(3):346-8. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2014.08.014.Additional ReadingAmerican Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.Tonsillectomy in children: Update to guidelines for treating and managing care.Reckley LK, Fernandez-Salvador C, Camacho M.The effect of tonsillectomy on obstructive sleep apnea: an overview of systematic reviews.Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:105-110. doi:10.2147/NSS.S127816.Windfuhr JP.Serious complications following tonsillectomy: how frequent are they really?ORL. 2013;75(3):166-173. doi:10.1159/000342317
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.
Aljfout Q, Alississ A, Rashdan H, Maita A, Saraireh M.Antibiotics for post-tonsillectomy morbidity: Comparative analysis of a single institutional experience.J Clin Med Res. 2016;8(5):385-8. doi:10.14740/jocmr2523wMitchell RB, Archer SM, Ishman SL, et al.Clinical practice guideline: Tonsillectomy in children (update).Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;160(1_suppl):S1-S42. doi:10.1177/0194599818801757Nationwide Children’s. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.Ferguson M, Aydin M, Mickel J.Halitosis and the tonsils: a review of management.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014;151(4):567-74. doi:10.1177/0194599814544881.University of Mississippi Medical Center.Home care after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy - adult.Flubacher P, Fournier N, Cherpillod J, Waridel F, Nydegger M, Albrecht E.A randomised controlled trial of placebo, droperidol or ondansetron to prevent nausea and vomiting after tonsillectomy in children receiving dexamethasone.Anaesthesia. 2017;72(7):859-863. doi:10.1111/anae.13907Wall JJ, Tay KY.Postoperative tonsillectomy hemorrhage.Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2018;36(2):415-426. doi:10.1016/j.emc.2017.12.009Al Sebeih K, Hussain J, Albatineh AN.Postoperative complications following tonsil and adenoid removal in Kuwaiti children: A retrospective study.Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2018;35:124–128. doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2018.09.024.Albeladi MA, Salamah MA, Alhussaini R.The effect of ice cream intake on pain relief for patients after tonsillectomy.Cureus. 2020;12(7):e9092. doi:10.7759/cureus.9092.Kinthala S, Kumar Areti Y.Airway obstruction and inability to ventilate due to swollen uvula following adenotonsillectomy in a three-year old child.West Indian Med J.2014;63(2):211-2. doi:10.7727/wimj.2012.309Wang YP, Wang MC, Lin HC, Lee KS, Chou P.Tonsillectomy and the risk for deep neck infection-a nationwide cohort study.PLoS One.2015;10(4):e0117535. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117535Alm F, Lööf G, Blomberg K, Ericsson E.Establishment of resilience in a challenging recovery at home after pediatric tonsil surgery-Children’s and caregivers' perspectives.Paediatr Neonatal Pain.2021;3(2):75-86. doi:10.1002/pne2.12051Álvarez Palacios I, González-Orús Álvarez-Morujo R, Alonso Martínez C, Ayala Mejías A, Arenas Brítez O.Postoperative pain in adult tonsillectomy: Is there any difference between the technique?Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;69(2):187-193. doi:10.1007/s12070-017-1058-9Manica D, Sekine L, Abreu LS, et al.Influence of dietary and physical activity restriction on pediatric adenotonsillectomy postoperative care in Brazil: A randomized clinical trial.Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2018;84(2):191-195. doi:10.1016/j.bjorl.2017.01.007Atan D, Apaydın E, Özcan KM, İkincioğulları A, Çetin MA, Dere H.Does tonsillectomy affect voice in early or late postoperative periods in adults?J Voice. 2017;31(1):131.e5-131.e8. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2015.11.023.Liu X, Zheng Y, Tian P, Yang J, Zou H.The impact of tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy on voice: acoustic and aerodynamic assessments.J Voice. 2015 May;29(3):346-8. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2014.08.014.
Aljfout Q, Alississ A, Rashdan H, Maita A, Saraireh M.Antibiotics for post-tonsillectomy morbidity: Comparative analysis of a single institutional experience.J Clin Med Res. 2016;8(5):385-8. doi:10.14740/jocmr2523w
Mitchell RB, Archer SM, Ishman SL, et al.Clinical practice guideline: Tonsillectomy in children (update).Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;160(1_suppl):S1-S42. doi:10.1177/0194599818801757
Nationwide Children’s. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.
Ferguson M, Aydin M, Mickel J.Halitosis and the tonsils: a review of management.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014;151(4):567-74. doi:10.1177/0194599814544881.
University of Mississippi Medical Center.Home care after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy - adult.
Flubacher P, Fournier N, Cherpillod J, Waridel F, Nydegger M, Albrecht E.A randomised controlled trial of placebo, droperidol or ondansetron to prevent nausea and vomiting after tonsillectomy in children receiving dexamethasone.Anaesthesia. 2017;72(7):859-863. doi:10.1111/anae.13907
Wall JJ, Tay KY.Postoperative tonsillectomy hemorrhage.Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2018;36(2):415-426. doi:10.1016/j.emc.2017.12.009
Al Sebeih K, Hussain J, Albatineh AN.Postoperative complications following tonsil and adenoid removal in Kuwaiti children: A retrospective study.Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2018;35:124–128. doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2018.09.024.
Albeladi MA, Salamah MA, Alhussaini R.The effect of ice cream intake on pain relief for patients after tonsillectomy.Cureus. 2020;12(7):e9092. doi:10.7759/cureus.9092.
Kinthala S, Kumar Areti Y.Airway obstruction and inability to ventilate due to swollen uvula following adenotonsillectomy in a three-year old child.West Indian Med J.2014;63(2):211-2. doi:10.7727/wimj.2012.309
Wang YP, Wang MC, Lin HC, Lee KS, Chou P.Tonsillectomy and the risk for deep neck infection-a nationwide cohort study.PLoS One.2015;10(4):e0117535. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117535
Alm F, Lööf G, Blomberg K, Ericsson E.Establishment of resilience in a challenging recovery at home after pediatric tonsil surgery-Children’s and caregivers' perspectives.Paediatr Neonatal Pain.2021;3(2):75-86. doi:10.1002/pne2.12051
Álvarez Palacios I, González-Orús Álvarez-Morujo R, Alonso Martínez C, Ayala Mejías A, Arenas Brítez O.Postoperative pain in adult tonsillectomy: Is there any difference between the technique?Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;69(2):187-193. doi:10.1007/s12070-017-1058-9
Manica D, Sekine L, Abreu LS, et al.Influence of dietary and physical activity restriction on pediatric adenotonsillectomy postoperative care in Brazil: A randomized clinical trial.Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2018;84(2):191-195. doi:10.1016/j.bjorl.2017.01.007
Atan D, Apaydın E, Özcan KM, İkincioğulları A, Çetin MA, Dere H.Does tonsillectomy affect voice in early or late postoperative periods in adults?J Voice. 2017;31(1):131.e5-131.e8. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2015.11.023.
Liu X, Zheng Y, Tian P, Yang J, Zou H.The impact of tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy on voice: acoustic and aerodynamic assessments.J Voice. 2015 May;29(3):346-8. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2014.08.014.
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.Tonsillectomy in children: Update to guidelines for treating and managing care.Reckley LK, Fernandez-Salvador C, Camacho M.The effect of tonsillectomy on obstructive sleep apnea: an overview of systematic reviews.Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:105-110. doi:10.2147/NSS.S127816.Windfuhr JP.Serious complications following tonsillectomy: how frequent are they really?ORL. 2013;75(3):166-173. doi:10.1159/000342317
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.Tonsillectomy in children: Update to guidelines for treating and managing care.
Reckley LK, Fernandez-Salvador C, Camacho M.The effect of tonsillectomy on obstructive sleep apnea: an overview of systematic reviews.Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:105-110. doi:10.2147/NSS.S127816.
Windfuhr JP.Serious complications following tonsillectomy: how frequent are they really?ORL. 2013;75(3):166-173. doi:10.1159/000342317
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