Understanding Tonsillitis

This video contains a visual explanation of tonsillitis, aimed at helping students of medicine and healthcare professionals prepare for exams.

Written notes on tonsillitis are available on the website at:

Zero to Finals Surgery book:

Zero to Finals Medicine book:

Zero to Finals Medicine audiobook:

Zero to Finals Paediatrics book:

Zero to Finals Paediatrics audiobook:

Zero to Finals Obstetrics and Gynaecology book:

Flashcards:

[vloser]

Currently experiencing this right now and I wouldn’t wish this on my worse enemy

[prodmorningstar]

For anybody going through this:

Boil enough water to fill half a coffee mug and mix in 1/2 tablespoons of salt. Once its warm to the touch (not hot), gargle the water little by little till its done. Make sure to spit out after gargling it, don’t swallow it.

The salt will make your mouth a hostile environment for bacteria. It also helps with swelling and it promotes healing.

Do this twice a day and you’ll be swallowing without pain in no time.

Stay away from milk and yogurts while you’re sick with this.

[rliberati]

Shoutout to all of us in the comments currently dying on tonsilitis. Bless modern medicine

[loriana]

I am currently suffering with bacterial tonsollitis (worse than covid in my opinion) - not a healthcare student at all haha but I really enjoyed how in depth but yet simple this video was to understand! thankyou

[bluud]

Currently have Tonsillitis right now. Have been bed ridden for the past 4 days. It's the worst thing I've ever experienced in my life

[aussieprincess]

As a long time sufferer of Bacterial Tonsillitis, thank you for this video. The last time I fell ill I couldn’t get an appointment with my GP so had to see a visiting locum, (small country town in NSW, Australia) she prescribed me steroids to take for a couple of days first and a script for antibiotics with instructions to not fill the AB script unless I 100% need it. She explained that steroids are the first line of defence now. My tonsils were the worst they had ever been after the steroids, so obviously I needed the AB. I was talking to my Osteo about it and she explained that it is a way they can now see whether it is viral or bacterial. I was meant to get the buggers taken out in 2009 but unfortunately other illness and many, many operations have since entered the room and it is on the list of to-do’s.

[phoenixgate]

Excellent overview! I’ve had tonsillitis a few times and I suspect I have it again. I wanted to understand more about the differences between viral and bacterial as I have had both. Antibiotics are the last line of defense and if it’s viral, there’s no need. I’ll admit it’s nice when it’s bacterial because you can TREAT the infection. I hope someday antivirals are able to help in the same way antibiotics have.

[TheMerdy]

GUYS GOOD NEWS! like 3 months ago just out of the blue one of my tonsils grew, got enlarged - nothing extreme but enough for frustrating tonsil stones to appear. Doctor said its normal and that I probably overcame some illness. I watched a lot of videos, read a lot too, discovered that some peaople have it for a week and some for a few months, also found gargling with salt water (every hour possible). Basically my only problem was that terrible stones even when they were so tiny, I was feeling so uncomfortable... But right now, during the 3rd month that tonsil started to shrink so much, that stones have no place to form at. SO gargle with salt water and wait, dont urge it to get it surgically removed. GL

[cherahsBroll]

I see, so I have a mild case of the viral tonsillitis. My throat is sore, yet I have these annoying swollen nodes on the left side of the back of my throat. It feels like I have food stuck in my throat. As a vocalist, this is seriously annoying to have. It’s been improving with regular warm salt water gurgling and hot tea with lemon and honey. I’ve also been doing lymphatic drainage massages in my face and neck, which has helped tremendously.

[MotifMusicStudios]

Thank you for this amazing walk through. I am so weary and feeling so sick.

[tufail]

Excellent overview for medicine student as well as for patient

[joanbaczek]

Had tonsillitis for years it was just noted in my medical records and dr didn’t notify me or attempt to treat it for years! I ended up with stage 4 cancer of the nasalpharenex with unknown origin! I didn’t find out about the tonsillitis notes til I ordered a copy of all my medical records. My cancer was hpv 16 positive and looking back my first symptoms were deep ear pain and burning and a tonsil that felt like it was burnt by food that was too hot. No dud with a degrees would look into it deep enough and call me crazy about the horrible ear pain then 4 years later I had stage 4 cancer!

[Clight]

I get tonsillitis every so often and It’s such a horrible feeling getting it. A few years back it got so bad that a decision was made to drain my tonsils. The smell was super foul and I was throwing up pus and blood. I was on morphine and penicillin for a month. So now I’ve learned to immediately gargle with warm water and salt. And if I have penicillin laying around best believe I’m taking it asap

[Skrimpsonite]

Love this, not the fact I have this and Otitis Media with Tonsillitis but such a well put together video. Bravo!!

[thechiiizone]

I currently have this. I can confidently say this is the worst sickness of my entire existence. I can’t wait for this torture to be over. I would not wish it on my worst enemy

[jaedenmonks]

I’ve been stabbed, broken bones, had a minor heart problem, and crushed my fingernail - but I have never ever been so uncomfortable in my life as I have with Tonsillitis

[josaywhat]

Has anyone who experienced Tonsillitis towards the end of the illness had their WISDOM TEETH hurt at all??? I experienced that

[revincentpogoy]

Im having big tonsillitis it so hurt to swallow omg😭😭😭 what should i do this is the worse than headache or stomachache

[ZivaLuthor]

Currently have tonsillitis. Most painful thing I have ever experienced.

[serseriherif]

In most cases of uncomplicated tonsillitis, antibiotics are not indicated and even with a positive centor (score 4-5) there are many false positives. Furthermore even if there is bacterial tonsillitis antibiotics only shorten the disease course by 1 or 2 days.