Is Tonsillitis Contagious?
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Tonsils are glands located at the
back of our throat, and they contain White Blood Cells /fighter cells that kill
the intruding micro organisms entering through the mouth. If our tonsils become
infected by nasty little bacteria or viruses, then they will become swollen,
red and painful, resulting in the most common ailment in the world- a “sore
throat”. Common symptoms of a sore throat include fever, earache, headache and
pain on swallowing.
Tonsillitis is the medical term for enlarged and infected tonsils. Like colds spread from one person to another, tonsillitis contagious is unimaginably serious illness. Why is it so? If a person who has tonsillitis sneezes or coughs, he/she expels millions of disease causing bacteria/viruses into the air. The disease can be transferred by air borne droplets. Even using the same glass, plate or toothbrush of an infected person can spread the disease from one person to another, showing how tonsillitis contagious can be cruel.
Generally tonsillitis is of two types- viral or bacterial. Viral tonsillitis takes more than a week to heal, and antibiotics are not at all useful for viral tonsillitis treatment since viruses cannot be destroyed by them. Bacterial tonsillitis lasts shorter, for a few days or so, and once antibiotic treatment is initiated, relief of symptoms starts immediately. The point to remember is that viral tonsillitis is more contagious than bacterial is, because it takes a longer time for the immune system to be activated in order to destroy viruses. Your doctor will be able to diagnose what type of tonsillitis you have by a thorough physical examination or some tests.
Although tonsillitis is very contagious, and you cannot do anything about the invisible droplets in the air that lead to the disease, you can nevertheless still take some precautions:
Knowing how tonsillitis contagious can ruin our body, of course everyone must have suffered from it at least once in their lives. But there is no need to remain in perpetual fear of infection; prompt treatment and the aforementioned precautions can help prevent this disease from occurring. You can go for a tonsillectomy when you have a recurrent problem of tonsillitis, if your doctor advises you to.
Tonsillitis is the medical term for enlarged and infected tonsils. Like colds spread from one person to another, tonsillitis contagious is unimaginably serious illness. Why is it so? If a person who has tonsillitis sneezes or coughs, he/she expels millions of disease causing bacteria/viruses into the air. The disease can be transferred by air borne droplets. Even using the same glass, plate or toothbrush of an infected person can spread the disease from one person to another, showing how tonsillitis contagious can be cruel.
Generally tonsillitis is of two types- viral or bacterial. Viral tonsillitis takes more than a week to heal, and antibiotics are not at all useful for viral tonsillitis treatment since viruses cannot be destroyed by them. Bacterial tonsillitis lasts shorter, for a few days or so, and once antibiotic treatment is initiated, relief of symptoms starts immediately. The point to remember is that viral tonsillitis is more contagious than bacterial is, because it takes a longer time for the immune system to be activated in order to destroy viruses. Your doctor will be able to diagnose what type of tonsillitis you have by a thorough physical examination or some tests.
Although tonsillitis is very contagious, and you cannot do anything about the invisible droplets in the air that lead to the disease, you can nevertheless still take some precautions:
- Wash your hands frequently, because bacteria/viruses on your hands can enter your body via the mouth when you eat.
- Do not share cups, plates, spoons, toothbrush etc with a person who has tonsillitis. If you have tonsillitis, then make sure that your drinking and eating vessels are not used by others. Keep them separately to prevent accidental usage.
- If you have bacterial tonsillitis, then after your antibiotic treatment has commenced, change your toothbrush, and thoroughly wash the utensils you were using previously. You will not want to re-infect yourself again!
- Drink plenty of water! Water prevents the desiccation of the throat, and a dry condition often leads to a conducive growth of bacteria and viruses.
- Using a saline gargle daily can also help to prevent infection.
Knowing how tonsillitis contagious can ruin our body, of course everyone must have suffered from it at least once in their lives. But there is no need to remain in perpetual fear of infection; prompt treatment and the aforementioned precautions can help prevent this disease from occurring. You can go for a tonsillectomy when you have a recurrent problem of tonsillitis, if your doctor advises you to.