Adults also report experiencing more pain than children after a tonsillectomy. This could be related to adults have more scar tissue on their tonsils, making them more difficult to remove. Scar tissue builds on the tonsils with each infection, and adults have had more time to accumulate scar tissue.
The tonsil is removed from a pocket leaving a small raw area which heals over 1-2 weeks. The area remains very sensitive and mild to severe pain is typical for 10 to 14 days. The tonsil may be removed by itself or at the same time as the adenoids.
Children only need a week or so to recover while an adult may need around two weeks before they can go back to work. This is because children heal faster than adults do. Studies have also shown that children are less likely to develop late-term bleeding days after their procedure.
It is often described by patients as comparable to the pain that accompanies an acute tonsillitis. Although recurrent tonsillitis is the most frequent indication for surgery, many tonsillectomies are performed due to other indications and these patients may be unfamiliar with such pain.
Throat and ear pain can be severe after a tonsillectomy. Take regular doses of pain medicine as prescribed. Tylenol or the prescribed narcotic pain medicine should be taken as instructed. 24 hours after your surgery, you may add ibuprofen for pain control.
Intense pain is one of the most important postoperative complaints after tonsillectomy. It is often described by patients as comparable to the pain that accompanies an acute tonsillitis.
Cold drinks (like apple juice, ice water, or soda) may make you feel better as they cool your injured throat. Warm drinks (like tea or coffee), on the other hand, may provide you with a soothing sensation that you'll like after surgery.
The pain may be the worst for 3-4 days after surgery. One to two weeks after surgery, pain may worsen because the scabs are falling off. It is important to control your child's pain after surgery. This helps your child drink and eat.
Most people find that they have the most pain in the first 8 days. You probably will feel tired for 1 to 2 weeks. You may have bad breath for up to 2 weeks. You may be able to go back to work or your usual routine in 1 to 2 weeks.
It is normal. Your pain after surgery may come and go. It may be worse on the first or second day after surgery.
THROAT PAIN is normal for 21 days after the surgery. The pain is usually tolerable in the first 3 days and then worsens to a crescendo around day 6 to 9 after the operation. Once this peak is reached then the pain gradually decreases daily until you can comfortably eat around day 14 after the operation.
The scabs usually fall off in small pieces. There may also be a small amount of bleeding. Most people swallow the scabs, often without realizing. Recovery from a tonsillectomy can take 10–14 days.
Anecdotal evidence from several ENT departments suggests that pain following tonsillectomy is worst on the second and/or third days after surgery.
Pain and discomfort will usually then ease until the seventh or ninth day after surgery when some of the scab covering the tonsillectomy site falls off. After this there is a steady reduction in pain.
Trouble sleeping at night. You may experience some difficult sleeping at night in the days following the procedure. This is common because it can be uncomfortable to breathe through your mouth right after surgery.
Sleeping with the head elevated 30 to 45 degrees or in a recliner for 3-4 days will reduce the swelling in the throat. The uvula (the thing that hangs down from the palate) may be swollen for the first few days and touch the tongue, occasionally causing a gagging sensation.
Relative to watchful waiting, most studies reported better sleep-related outcomes in children who had a tonsillectomy. In 5 studies including children with polysomnography-confirmed OSDB, AHI scores improved more in children receiving tonsillectomy versus surgery.
Soft drinks, fruit juice nectars, Jell-O, custard, Popsicles, or Gatorade are good choices. Your child should not drink through a straw after surgery until his throat is completely healed. Using a straw may increase the risk of bleeding.
Within 1-2 days, add cold and soothing foods (ices, ice-cream, frozen yogurt, Jell-O). As you feel better, add soft bland items that are easy to chew and swallow (pasta, puddings, mashed potatoes, tuna or chicken salad, macaroni and cheese). Avoid foods that are sharp, hot, or spicy.
The pain was evaluated using visual analogue scale (VAS) on a scale of 0–10, with 0 representing no pain at all and 10 worst possible pain. Postoperative pain was consider mild if EVA ranges between 0.00 and 2.99; moderate when ranges between 3.00 and 6.99, and severe pain when it was greater than 7.00.
Ongoing cough for several days post-op may occur due to swelling in the surgical site and post-nasal drip due to increase secretions. Before starting any over-the-counter cough remedies, please contact our Nurse Line at 412-692-5460 option 4. How much should my child eat or drink after his or her tonsillectomy?
Tonsillectomy is often framed as low-risk to the voice because it's not an operation that directly contacts the vocal cords. However, the tonsils sit in the throat, influencing vocal tract shape. The voice can be impacted even if the vocal cords are not the target of the surgery.
Chew Ice Constantly
Ice is one of the best things to have during a tonsillectomy recovery. Ice keeps the incision site moist during recovery and this is very important for speedy healing. The cold temperature of ice also helps to numb pain and reduce swelling.