TONSILLITIS

Had a long day in the clinic today. The teaching doctor went on and on and on. But at least I learned well today. It was my turn to present a case today and I had a patient who came with sore throat. My patient was an 18year old boy who have been having recurrent sore throat since childhood and he was diagnosed to have TONSILLITIS of chronic type.

Tonsils are lymphoid tissues in the oral cavity that have a protective role in the mouth. There are 6 in number and the ones you see in the picture are called palatine tonsil. The normal tonsils are small and the colour maybe not so red. It should have the same colour like your mouth. See the smaller picture, here it shows that the tonsils are enlarged and are red.

People with tonsillitis usually complain of sore throat, difficulty in swallowing, fever, and probably change in voice too. Tonsillitis is common among us. This is because our mouth gets infected easily if hygiene is not maintained, or because we frequently get cold or cough. This common infection maybe infecting us again and again and again and weaken our system and infects the tonsils next.

It isnt a dangerous disease, but it may cause harm to children because their respiratory tract is small and this enlarged tonsils may obstruct the air passage and may cause complications.

So if you want to know more about your tonsils, have a look in front of the mirror. You might need to use torchlight and observe the tonsils when you are having cough or cold. If you think your tonsils are enlarged and you need better treatment than just rest and homemade remedies than you should go see a doctor for it. :P