The article was professionally consulted with Doctor Specialist II Nguyen Van Thai - ENT Doctor - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.
Tonsillitis causing bleeding is not a common symptom of tonsillitis, so when this condition occurs, many patients will be very confused, worried, and not know how to treat it.
1. What is tonsillitis?
Tonsils are a lymphoid tissue, consisting of two masses located on both sides of the throat wall. Tonsils have the function of producing lymphocytes and antibodies, so they play a very important role in maintaining the body's immune system, especially increasing the ability of the nose and throat to resist pathogens. However, because they are the "entrance" for many viruses and bacteria, tonsils are very vulnerable. Tonsillitis is one of the most common tonsil lesions. This is a very common disease, which can appear in all subjects from adults to children, but is concentrated in children aged 5 to 15 years old. The main causes of tonsillitis are:
● Bacteria: group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus, staphylococcus, streptococcus, spirochetes, some strains of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria
● Viruses: measles, flu, whooping cough,...
Tonsillitis often occurs in people with poor resistance, allergic constitution or inflammatory diseases in the throat, mouth such as tooth decay, gingivitis, sinusitis, adenoiditis. Sudden changes in weather from hot to cold or polluted environment, poor hygiene are also favorable factors for the development of the disease.
2. Why does tonsillitis cause bleeding?
When suffering from tonsillitis, the patient will have symptoms such as: Sudden chills, followed by a fever of 38-39 degrees. Body fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, little urination, dark urine. Hot, dry throat, especially on the side of the throat where the tonsils are, sore throat, sharp pain up to the ear, coughing with phlegm, slightly hoarse voice.
Tonsillitis causing bleeding is not a common symptom of tonsillitis, so when experiencing this symptom, the patient will be very confused and worried. The cause of tonsillitis bleeding is due to tonsillitis not being treated promptly or treated improperly, the symptoms of sore throat, prolonged coughing cause the tiny blood vessels in the throat to rupture, when coughing up blood, a little blood may come out or blood mixed in the phlegm. Another cause is that some agents that cause tonsillitis create ulcers on the tonsils causing bleeding.
3. Is tonsillitis causing bleeding dangerous?
Tonsillitis causing bleeding is a quite dangerous condition. Because it is located next to large blood vessels, if the damage is not treated early, the blood vessel damage will spread more and more, and tonsil bleeding will become more and more severe. In addition, when tonsillitis is not treated, the disease will develop seriously and cause complications in many organs, seriously threatening the patient's health.
● Complications in nearby organs: Sinusitis, otitis media, laryngitis, bronchitis
● Complications in distant organs: arthritis, endocarditis, nephritis, bacteremia, ...
4. What to do when tonsillitis causes bleeding?
When tonsillitis causes bleeding, patients should go to medical facilities for active treatment. The doctor will conduct a clinical examination and prescribe a number of tests to comprehensively assess the patient's condition. To treat tonsillitis causing bleeding, the drugs that can be used are:
● Antibiotics: When suffering from acute tonsillitis, antibiotics may not be needed, treatment is mainly symptomatic treatment, improving physical condition. However, when tonsillitis causes bleeding, through examination, the doctor determines that the tonsillitis is caused by bacteria, antibiotics are indispensable drugs.
● Antipyretics, pain relievers: Paracetamol is used at a dose of 10-15mg/kg, with doses 4-6 hours apart.
● Gargle with warm alkaline solutions: mix half a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate, sodium borate,... with a cup of warm water to gargle. You can also use 0.9% NaCl saline solution instead.
During treatment, the patient needs to spend a lot of time resting, drinking plenty of water, and having a nutritious diet. Do not eat foods that are too hot or too cold because they can easily damage the oral and throat mucosa. When tonsillitis is completely treated, the bleeding caused by tonsillitis and other symptoms of the disease will disappear, and the patient's health will recover.
BSCK II Nguyen Van Thai is a former ENT and Head and Neck Surgeon at the Department of ENT - Hue Central Hospital with more than 17 years of experience in treatment, especially in the field of Head and Neck Surgery. He is currently an ENT Doctor at the Interdisciplinary Clinic of the Department of Examination and Internal Medicine, Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.
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