Psychosomatics of tonsillitis
Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils: it hurts to swallow, you get a temperature and the glands in your neck swell. Most often it is caused by viruses, less often by bacteria such as strep, and then antibiotics are needed. It usually gets better in 3 to 4 days. If it is not better after a week, keeps coming back or swallowing is very hard, see a doctor. The Ladder method adds questions about what you have to "swallow".
Updated
When to see a doctor
Book a doctor’s appointment if you notice:
- Sore throat, painful swallowing
- Red, swollen tonsils
- White or yellow coating, pus-filled spots
- Temperature, weakness, headache
- Painful glands in the neck
- Tonsillitis comes back several times a year
Start with a GP: they will look at your throat and, if needed, test for strep. The NHS advises seeing a doctor if you are not better after a week or throat infections keep coming back. With frequent tonsillitis you need an ENT doctor.
What medicine knows
Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils, the two lumps at the sides of your throat (NHS). It is common in children but can affect teenagers and adults. Tonsillitis itself is not contagious, but the viruses and bacteria that cause it can spread to other people, as with colds and flu.
Most often the cause is a virus, often from a cold. Less often it is bacterial, for example strep: then a doctor does a rapid test or a throat swab and prescribes antibiotics, which are important to finish even if you feel better (MedlinePlus). Viral tonsillitis does not need antibiotics.
Symptoms according to the NHS: sore throat, difficulty swallowing, high temperature, cough, headache, feeling sick, earache and tiredness. In more severe cases there are painful swollen glands in the neck, pus-filled spots or white patches on the tonsils, and bad breath. Symptoms usually go away after 3 to 4 days but can last longer.
At home rest, cool drinks, soft food, gargling with warm salty water and painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen help (NHS, MedlinePlus). Tonsils are rarely removed: this is discussed when severe tonsillitis keeps coming back or enlarged tonsils make breathing and swallowing hard.
In the Ladder method
In the Ladder method tonsillitis is not explained by "unspoken resentment". Viruses and bacteria cause it, it is not your fault that you got ill, and a doctor prescribes treatment. But it is useful to notice in which periods of your life tonsillitis comes back.
In psychosomatics the throat is linked with the voice and with words: what you want to say and what you have to swallow. This is an image, not the cause of the illness, but many people recognise themselves in it.
On the ladder this shows up as the step "if I speak up, it will get worse". You can work through it once your health has been checked. Antibiotics and the decision about removing the tonsils stay with the doctor.
These are questions for reflection, not an explanation of what causes the condition and not a treatment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a sore throat and tonsillitis?
Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils, and a sore throat is one of its symptoms. It is most often caused by viruses, less often by bacteria such as strep. A doctor will find the cause by examining you and doing a test: this decides whether antibiotics are needed.
Why does tonsillitis keep coming back?
Tonsillitis returns with repeated infections, especially if you often catch colds or have small children around. The NHS advises seeing a doctor if throat infections keep coming back. With severe recurrent tonsillitis an ENT doctor may discuss removing the tonsils, but this is rare.
Is tonsillitis linked to keeping quiet and putting up with things?
This link cannot be proven and we do not claim it: viruses and bacteria cause tonsillitis. But if bouts of tonsillitis coincide with hard periods, that is a reason to look at your load and at what remains unsaid. In the Ladder method this is a separate step, while a doctor prescribes the treatment.
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Psychosomatics does not replace tests and treatment. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.