Children and young teenagers due to the infections they are exposed to daily and their developing immune systems. Many will grow out of tonsillitis as they reach adult-hood.
Mostly caused by a virus, tonsillitis is not generally treated by antibiotics, but by the following methods.
Paracetamol and/or Ibuprofen
Plenty of fluids
Avoiding smoky areas or smoking
Gargling with salt water
Rest at home
If the tonsillitis does persist your GP may sometimes prescribe antibiotics. Please see your GP if symptoms persist for more than 3-4 days without improvement.
This procedure is now less common as research has shown that long term the patient can still experience as many throat infections as they did before.
Plus, there are risks posed by having surgery and a general anesthetic, and also after-bleeding.
Things to Remember
Never give aspirin to children under 16 years of age, as there can be harmful side affects
Most of the time tonsillitis is caused by a virus and cannot be treated with antibiotics
A key indictor for diagnosing tonsillitis is white spots on the tonsils
Word from our GP
In most cases, at home TLC is the best treatment for tonsillitis as patients will feel very unwell. After a few days of paracetamol, plenty of fluids and some rest and relaxation they should be on the road to recovery.