Tonsillitis: Virus and Age Group
Tonsillitis is an infection or inflammation of the tonsils. The main reason for your tonsils is to help stop bacteria and infection from entering any further into the body. In tonsillitis, the tonsils are enlarged, red, and often coat almost or all the way by a substance that is yellow, gray, or white. Tonsillitis usually occurs as part of pharyngitis (throat infection). Tonsillitis usually begins with sudden sore throat and painful swallowing. Sometimes, tonsillitis reoccurs, and may cause difficulty breathing.
When this happens the doctor will recommend an operation called tonsillectomy. This is where the doctor removed your tonsils to prevent any further damage. Children from ages 5 to 15 are more likely to catch tonsillitis than an adult because it is caused it is most commonly caused by streptococcus species otherwise known as step throat, which is typically found in children of that age group. It is very rare to find children under the age of 2 years old to catch this infection and patient history is sometimes helpful when trying to identify the strand of tonsillitis the patient has.
Most of the time tonsillitis is caused by viruses, the rest of the time it is caused by the same bacteria that causes strep throat (streptococcus). Bacteria causes 15-30% of pharyngotonsillitis cases. Pharyngotonsillitis is a medical condition characterized by an inflammation of both the tonsils and the pharynx (located at the back of the throat). It occurs due to viral or bacterial infections. In rare cases a fungus or parasite can also cause tonsillitis. Other common causes are Adenoviruses, Influenza virus, Herpes Simplex virus and Enteroviruses.
There are 4 types of Tonsillitis. Acute Tonsillitis is an acute inflammation of the tonsillar tissue. Children are mostly affected and this ordinary simple disease can sometime lead to serious complications. Recurrent Tonsillitis occurs when the patient has acute tonsillitis multiple times a year. This usually ends in having the tonsils removed which is called tonsillectomy. Chronic Tonsillitis happens when the patient has chronic sore throat, halitosis (bad breath) and persistently tender cervical nodes.
Peritonsillar Abscess occurs when the patent often has severe throat pain, fever, drooling, foul breath, trismus (difficulty opening mouth), and muffled voice qualities such as hot potato voice. Diagnosis is made on the basis of the clinical symptoms. Inspection of the mouth and throat shows visibly enlarged tonsils. They are usually redden and may have white spots on them. The lymph nodes of the jaw and neck may be enlarged and tender to the touch. A culture of the tonsils maybe taken to identify bacterial infection. Tonsillitis is usually treated with a regimen of antibodies. Fluid replacement and pain control are important. Hospitalization may be required if the case is severe enough to preform tonsillectomy.
Like when the infection has causes the tonsils to swell up so much that they block the airways. The medical assistant’s job is to do a general ear, nose and throat exam, Review patient’s medical history and schedule any tests or x-rays needed for the doctor. When the operation is scheduled if needed the medical assistant must call the day before to make sure the patient has or is following the doctor’s sed. orders before surgery. And after the surgery the M. A. is to teach and explain all the instructions the Doctor has ordered for the patient’s full recovery.
