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TONSILLITIS
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TONSILLITIS , acute inflammation of the tonsils, or See also:quinsy, due to the invasion of the tonsil, or tonsils, by septic micro-organisms which may have gained See also:access through the mouth or by the See also:blood-stream. Sometimes the attack comes on as the result of See also:direct exposure to See also:sewer See also:gas, and it is not at all an uncommon See also:affection of See also:house surgeons, nurses and others who have to spend most of their See also:time in a See also:hospital. The association of quinsy with See also:rheumatism may be the result of the infection of the tonsils by the micro-organisms or the toxins of that disease. Acute tonsillitis is very See also:apt to run on to the formation of See also:abscess. Quinsy may begin with a feeling of chilliness or with an attack of shivering. Then comes on a swelling in the See also:throat with See also:pain, tenderness and difficulty in swallowing. Indeed, if both tonsils are acutely inflamed it may be impossible to See also:swallow even fluid and the breathing may be seriously embarrassed. The temperature may be raised several degrees. There is pain about the See also:ear and about the See also:jaw, and there is a swelling of the glands in the See also:neck. The breath is offensive and the See also:tongue is thickly coated. There may be some yellowish markings on the See also:surface of the tonsil, but these differ from the patches of " false membrane " of See also:diphtheria in that they can be easily brushed off by a swab, but often a true diagnosis can only be made by bacteriological examination. The treatment consists in giving a purgative, and in encouraging the patient to use an inhaler containing hot carbolized See also:water. Hot compresses also may be applied to the neck. As regards medicines, the most trustworthy are salicylic See also:acid, See also:iron and See also:quinine. As soon as abscess threatens, a slender-bladed See also:knife should be thrust from before backward deeply into the swollen See also:mass. And if, as most likely happens, See also:matter then escapes, the patient's See also:distress speedily ends. Convalescence having set in, a See also:change of See also:air and course of tonic treatment will be advisable. Chronic tonsillitis is often associated with adenoid vegetations at the back of the throat of tuberculous or delicate See also:children, such children being spoken of as being " liable to sore throat." Chronic enlargement of the tonsils may seriously interfere with a See also:child's See also:general See also:health and vigour and, should the See also:condition not subside under general See also:measures such as a stay at a bracing seaside See also:place and the taking of See also:cod-See also:liver oil and iron, it will be well to treat the tonsils by operation. (E. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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