Strep throat is more severe than tonsillitis, and it's caused by a specific strain of bacteria called Streptococcus. If untreated, it can damage the kidneys or turn into rheumatic fever, a disease that damages heart valves. Strep throat symptoms include: A fever greater than 101 degrees.
Tonsillitis and strep throat are sometimes referred to interchangeably, but they're technically different infections. Tonsillitis occurs when a virus or bacterium causes the tonsils to swell, while strep throat happens when a specific bacteria causes swelling in the throat area.
Unlike a common sore throat, tonsillitis is a severe infection of the tonsils that stems from bacteria or a virus. Sufferers may experience extreme pain in their throat, as well as having difficulty swallowing.
Quinsy can endanger health and even your life if left untreated. This throat condition is often mistaken for tonsillitis but even though it has similar symptoms it is much worse than this. It causes problems with swallowing and in the worse case scenario can result in a condition called aspiration.
A sore throat due to strep throat typically causes pain when swallowing. What's more, it may be more painful than a sore throat from a virus. With strep throat, a sore throat may develop quickly.
Strep throat, which is an infection due to streptococcus bacteria, is another cause of sore throats and tonsillitis. With strep throat, the sore throat is often more severe and persists.
In general, strep throat is a mild disease, but it can be very painful. Common symptoms may include: Fever. Pain when swallowing.
The main symptom of tonsillitis is a sore throat. Your tonsils will be red and swollen, and your throat may be very painful, making swallowing difficult. In some cases, the tonsils are coated or have white, pus-filled spots on them.
The pain can range from a mild, scratchy sensation to feeling like there are sharp needles or shards of glass in the back of your throat. Your child might also have a fever or chills, and it could be hard for them to swallow. And young children with tonsillitis might drool, refuse to eat, and act extra fussy.
You can feel very poorly if you have tonsillitis.
Your tonsils may get bigger and you may see white pus on them. Sometimes tonsillitis can become a more serious infection where you will need to be treated in hospital. This is called a peritonsillar abscess (quinsy).
Today, however, this once common procedure is no longer a standard operating procedure. Why? Dr. DeMarino says that, “There are fewer tonsillectomies due to skepticism in the medical community over its usefulness in infection control and more stringent guidelines.”
Tonsillitis caused by a viral infection is generally contagious for between 7 to 10 days, whereas bacterial tonsillitis may be contagious for up to two weeks. In some cases infected individuals are chronic carriers and can be mildly contagious for extended periods of time.
Tonsillitis usually improves on its own after around a week. It's most often caused by a virus, so antibiotics won't help. Even if it's a bacterial infection, it will often settle without antibiotics. You can ease your symptoms with self-help measures and over-the-counter medicines.
If a child's strep throat is not treated with antibiotics, or if they don't complete the treatment, the infection may worsen or spread to other parts of their body. This can lead to conditions such as abscesses of the tonsils or kidney problems.
Most of the time tonsillitis caused by either viral or bacterial infections will eventually resolve on its own. But if a bacterial infection is to blame, antibiotics help clear up symptoms faster and prevent complications, Rowan says.
How long tonsillitis lasts. Symptoms will usually go away after 3 to 4 days.
Although everyone experiences pain differently, in almost all cases tonsillitis causes throat pain or irritation, such as a sore throat, difficult or painful swallowing, enlarged glands in the neck, and a scratchy voice (where you may feel more strain than usual to talk).
Tonsillitis is most often caused by common viruses, but bacterial infections also can be the cause. The most common bacterium causing tonsillitis is Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus), the bacterium that causes strep throat. Other strains of strep and other bacteria also may cause tonsillitis.
Most adults have a lot of throat pain for 1 to 2 weeks or longer. The pain may get worse before it gets better. The pain in your throat can also make your ears hurt. You may have good days and bad days.
If tonsillitis is left untreated, a complication can develop called a peritonsillar abscess. This is an area around the tonsils that's filled with bacteria, and it can cause these symptoms: Severe throat pain.
The doctor will administer intravenous painkillers to drain your peritonsillar abscess. They may spray a numbing medication on your tonsils. This makes the surgical procedure painless or less painful for you.
It can strike any time of the year, but the peak seasons for strep throat are late fall and early spring.
Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is a rare, but serious bacterial infection. STSS can develop very quickly into low blood pressure, multiple organ failure, and even death.
You can't tell precisely how long strep throat lasts because it sneaks up on you. Usually, it lasts between seven to ten days and goes away on its own. The symptoms are generally at a peak level between the second to fourth days, so you shouldn't be too worried when your symptoms suddenly spike up.