When it comes to abnormal tonsils, they might be due to cancer or an infection. Tonsillitis involves viral or bacterial infection on the tonsils. As for tonsil cancer, it includes lymphoma or squamous cell carcinoma. The management for abnormal tonsils tends to vary depending on the cause.
What is tonsillitis?
The tonsils are situated in the upper region of the throat. It is important to note that this lymphatic tissue is responsible for filtering out bacteria as well as other antigens that spread infection all over the body. The abundance of viral or bacterial infections can lead to inflammation of the tonsils or tonsillitis. The symptoms usually include the following:
- Fever
- Chills
- Painful or sore throat
- Vocal changes or loss of voice
- Jaw and throat tenderness
- Headache
Since the tonsils are inflamed, the individual often suffers from difficulty swallowing.
Tonsil cancer
Tonsil cancer has two varieties – squamous cell carcinoma and lymphoma. The signs and symptoms of tonsil cancer include ear or mouth pain, blood in the saliva, enlarged tonsils, sore throat and bad breath.
The potential risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma include exposure to the human papilloma virus, immunodeficiency conditions such as HIV and organ transplantation surgery. As for the general risk factors for lymphoma, they are not known.
Assessment
When assessing abnormal tonsils, the throat and mouth are carefully assessed. For tonsillitis, the rapid strep test using a throat swab culture is an example. The rapid strep test basically assesses for strep throat, particularly the presence of streptococcal bacteria in the throat. Take note that the throat swab culture is a sample from the oral cavity in order to isolate and determine the exact cause of the infection.
Tonsil cancer is diagnosed through various tests such as X-rays, blood tests, imaging studies and biopsy. These tests indicate the presence as well as the stage of cancer to provide the doctor with vital information to come up with an ideal treatment plan.
Treatment
Antibiotics are commonly used in managing bacterial infection of the tonsils. Other treatment options include rest, increase fluid intake, gargling salt water or sucking on lozenges. There are also some pain medications that can be utilized to properly manage sore throat or fever such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Individuals who experience multiple infections on the tonsils might require tonsillectomy in which the tonsils are taken out. This procedure is usually prescribed for children who experience difficulty breathing, growth or abscess on the tonsils or missed out on school due to swollen tonsils for several days.
It is important to note that tonsillectomy is also used to manage tonsil cancer. Other treatment options include chemotherapy and radiation therapy which are considered as standard treatments for any form of cancer.
Prognosis
The indications of tonsillitis typically subside after a few days of treatment. When it comes to pediatric strep tonsillitis, many children are less contagious after 24 hours of antibiotic treatment. Even though the treatment is often successful, some of the possible complications of tonsillitis include dehydration, rheumatic fever and kidney failure.
The prognosis for surviving tonsil cancer usually depends on the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis. The ideal prognosis is that the individual achieves an average life expectancy without a relapse.