Apartment 408: Tonsillitis Strikes Apt 408

Here's another story for anyone just plain bored...

The title says it all. Tonsillitis strikes our home, yet again. Kristy was the first to introduce me to such a sicking thing; and now I have it. (Notice I don't write about Kristy's pain, only mine). That's because I can tell you first hand how bad it is.

Luckily I'm on an upward slant after 3 days of hardly being able to breath, sleep, or eat. It wasn't very fun. And I just found out that Kristy can get it sometimes 2 or 3 times a year! Good thing she was here or I might have thought I was dying. She also gave me many pointers.

Here are some clippings I found on the Internet while browsing the subject. And no, the pictures are not of my mouth. Be careful...It's not for the faint of heart (or stomach).

History: The patient's history determines the type of tonsillitis (ie, acute, recurrent, chronic) that is present.

Acute tonsillitis

Individuals with acute tonsillitis present with fever, sore throat, foul breath, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), odynophagia (painful swallowing), and tender cervical lymph nodes.
Airway obstruction may manifest as mouth breathing, snoring, nocturnal breathing pauses, or sleep apnea.
Lethargy and malaise are common.
Symptoms usually resolve in 3-4 days but may last up to 2 weeks despite adequate therapy.

Recurrent

Recurrent tonsillitis is diagnosed when an individual has 7 episodes in 1 year, 5 infections in 2 consecutive years, or 3 infections each year for 3 years consecutively.

Chronic

Individuals with chronic tonsillitis may present with chronic sore throat, halitosis, tonsillitis, and persistent tender cervical nodes.
Individuals with PTA present with severe throat pain, fever, drooling, foul breath, trismus (difficulty opening the mouth), and altered voice quality (the “hot potato” voice).

Physical examination reveals fever and enlarged inflamed tonsils that may have exudates (see below).

A gray membrane may cover tonsils that are inflamed from an EBV infection (see below). This membrane can be removed without bleeding.