In younger populations, the most common cause of recurrent sore throat is recurrent tonsillitis.
Recurrent tonsillitis is not the same as pharyngitis. Pharyngitis occurs when the whole back of the throat is red and inflamed. On the other hand, tonsillitis is when the tonsils themselves, which sit in a particular area of the throat, get red, inflamed, and have pus around them.
A person with recurrent tonsillitis can elect to have their tonsils removed to permanently alleviate the source of infection and prevent it from repeating in the future.
How do people with tonsillitis present?
A person who’s developing tonsillitis will feel run-down and unwell during the first 24 hours. Subsequently, they’ll start to feel pain from swallowing certain types of food, sometimes all food. They may also experience ear ache.
One of the complications of tonsillitis is the development of a peritonsillar abscess where pus forms in the muscular structure that sits underneath the tonsils. This results in more pain, usually on one side of the throat, difficulty opening the mouth, and a change in the quality of one’s voice.
For more information on how to deal with recurrent tonsillitis, please watch the video above. If you’re experiencing the symptoms mentioned in this blog post, make sure to Book a consultation with Dr. Julia Crawford to learn more about your treatment options.
