Treatment
Treatments to reduce the discomfort from tonsillitis symptoms include:
- pain relief, anti-inflammatory, fever reducing medications (acetaminophen/paracetamol and/or ibuprofen)
- sore throat relief (warm salt water gargle, lozenges, and iced/cold liquids)
If the tonsillitis is caused by group A streptococus, then antibiotics are useful with penicillin or amoxicillin being first line. Cephalosporins and macrolides are considered good alternatives to penicillin in the acute setting. A macrolide such as erythromycin is used for people allergic to penicillin. Individuals who fail penicillin therapy may respond to treatment effective against beta-lactamase producing bacteria such as clindamycin or amoxicillin-clavulanate. Aerobic and anaerobic beta lactamase producing bacteria that reside in the tonsillar tissues can "shield" group A streptococcus from penicillins. When tonsillitis is caused by a virus, the length of illness depends on which virus is involved. Usually, a complete recovery is made within one week; however, symptoms may last for up to two weeks. Chronic cases may be treated with tonsillectomy (surgical removal of tonsils) as a choice for treatment.
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