Tonsillitis     

The tonsils are lymph nodes on each side at the back of the throat. They help fight infection from bacteria and viruses that enter through the nose and mouth, but sometimes the tonsils themselves can become inflamed and swollen. This is tonsillitis. Children ages 3 to 6 are more likely to get streptococcal tonsillitis because their immune systems aren't fully developed and their exposure is frequently greater.

Symptoms

• Very sore throat

• Trouble swallowing

• Fever and chills

• Tender, sore glands under the jaw and neck

• Headache

• Changes of voice

• Sore throat that lasts longer than 2 days

Self-Care

A child with tonsillitis needs a doctor's care; antibiotics usually are prescribed to clear the infection. One of the penicillins is the preferred antibiotic. Besides antibiotics there are steps you can take to help your child feel better :

• Make sure your child has plenty of rest. Don't let him or her go back to school or day care until the child has been on antibiotics for at least 24 hours and the fever is gone and the child is feeling better.

• If your doctor suggests it, give acetaminophen (Tylenol) to help reduce fever and pain.

• Offer warm liquids, such as decaffeinated tea and soup.

• Give any antibiotics exactly the way your doctor prescribed them. Don't stop giving them, even if your child seems to be better before the prescription is used up.

• If your child can gargle, have him or her gargle with warm saltwater (1/2 teaspoon salt in a cup of water) several times a day. Don't let your child swallow the saltwater.

Streptococcal tonsillitis is quite common and not serious in itself, but if the infection isn't treated, there can be complications such as acute rheumatic fever or glomerulonephritis . If your child has symptoms of tonsillitis for more than 2 days, with a fever of 103 degrees F or higher, has been exposed to strep throat, has had tonsillitis before, or has a sore throat that gets worse even with antibiotics, call your doctor.

Although surgery to remove tonsils was common a couple of decades ago, today surgery is generally only suggested when a child is prone to tonsillitis, with several episodes a year, or when a child has tonsillitis that doesn't respond to antibiotics.

Prevention

Because tonsillitis comes from other infections, to prevent tonsillitis you need to do what you can to prevent bacterial and viral infections. That's hard to do, because any contact with other people -- especially with other children in day care or school -- can spread infection.

• The best way to prevent infection is to encourage your child to wash his or her hands before eating and after using the bathroom. Teach your child to wash hands completely and vigorously with soap and running water or to use anti-bacterial alcohol-based gels.

• If your child is in day care, encourage the day care provider to make sure that children wash their hands often during the day, not just before meals.

• Help your children learn to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. Teach them to cough or sneeze into the inside of the elbow -- not into their hands -- to help prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses through hand contact.

• Don't smoke. Children exposed to cigarette smoke are more vulnerable to tonsillitis.

• If one of your children has tonsillitis -- or any infection -- make sure that no one else in your home eats or drinks from that child's dinnerware and utensils until they have been washed in hot, soapy water.