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Tonsillitis is the inflammation of your tonsils, and it is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Doctors will encourage patients to stay at home rather than going to work or school when they have tonsillitis, but is this because tonsillitis is contagious? Express.co.uk reveals whether you can catch tonsillitis or not.
Tonsillitis can often feel like a bad cold or flu, but sometimes the symptoms are so severe you can’t eat or sleep.
The main symptoms in both children and adults are:
- a sore throat
- difficulty swallowing
- hoarse or no voice
- a high temperature of 38C or above
- coughing
- a headache
- feeling sick
- earache
- feeling tired
READ MORE- Tonsillitis warning – the white spots at the back of your throat
Children especially may experience stomach pain and ear pain.
The infection can also lead to bad breath that will last as long as the tonsillitis.
Sometimes tonsillitis can cause more severe symptoms such as swollen painful glands in your neck.
It might feel like you have a lump on the side of your neck.
This may be accompanied by white pus-filled spots on the tonsils.
Can you catch tonsillitis?
Tonsillitis isn’t contagious but the infections that cause it are.
Tonsillitis is often caused by common cold and flu viruses or streptococcal bacteria.
About one in three cases of tonsillitis is caused by bacteria such as the streptococcus bacteria, and this is most common among children between five and 15.
You can catch these infections in the same way you’d catch a cold, through droplets in the air when someone infected talks, coughs or sneezes.
You could also catch the infection if you touch a surface that is contaminated with the virus or bacteria.
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However, if you were to pass on the virus or bacterial infection to someone else they probably won’t develop tonsillitis.
The person who catches it may just develop a sore throat or cold, but it is possible for them to develop tonsillitis.
The NHS recommends staying away from other people when you have tonsillitis to stop these infections from spreading, especially with the coronavirus pandemic ongoing.
This means staying at home as much as possible, so you may need to stay off work or keep your child at home.
Tonsillitis normally goes away after three to four days, but it could take longer if you have a weak immune system.
The infection will have to run its course, but there are plenty of treatments available over-the-counter to help.
If your symptoms are severe and not improving, chat to your GP.
They may prescribe you antibiotics, and if you regularly get tonsillitis they may suggest a tonsillectomy.
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