Complications and risks of tonsillitis

Complications and risks of tonsillitis

Peritonsillar abscess (quinsy) - the most common local complication: pus collects beside the tonsil, causing severe one-sided pain, muffled "hot potato" voice, drooling, difficulty opening the mouth and fever. It needs urgent hospital drainage and IV antibiotics. This is the complication behind "one-sided worsening" warnings.

Post-streptococcal complications (after untreated or incompletely treated strep):

• Acute rheumatic fever: appearing 2-4 weeks later - joint pains and swelling, sometimes heart inflammation that scars valves permanently (rheumatic heart disease, still a major burden in India). Preventable with a complete antibiotic course.
• Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis: kidney inflammation causing dark or cola-coloured urine, facial swelling and reduced urine - needs prompt medical care.
• Scarlet fever: strep with a sandpaper rash - treatable, but needs the same antibiotics.

Airway and spread complications (rare but dangerous): very large tonsils or abscesses can obstruct breathing; infection can rarely spread deeper into the neck. Drooling with breathing difficulty is an emergency - call 112.

Chronic and quality-of-life effects: recurrent attacks mean missed school and work; chronically enlarged tonsils can cause snoring and obstructive sleep apnea in children, affecting sleep, behaviour and growth - a real reason for ENT evaluation.

Tonsillectomy risks (when surgery is chosen): bleeding is the main one, mostly in the first two weeks - balanced against the burden of recurrent disease, which is why surgery follows documented criteria, not preference.

Remember: complete strep treatment prevents the feared complications; one-sided worsening or breathing trouble goes to hospital.

Ayurvedic view (interpretive)

Ayurveda describes neglected throat disease spreading deeper - a parallel caution. The complications above are prevented and treated by modern care.