ICD-10: J03Respiratory System DiseasesSevere Severity
Acute tonsillitis
Acute tonsillitis is a sudden inflammation of the two oval-shaped pads of tissue at the back of your throat caused by an infection.
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Find PulmonologistsClinical Overview
Your tonsils are two small, soft lumps of tissue located on each side of the back of your throat. They act like filters, trapping germs like bacteria and viruses that enter through your mouth and nose to help your immune system fight off sickness.
Acute tonsillitis happens when these tonsils become infected and suddenly swell up, turn red, and become very painful. This often occurs because your body is reacting to a germ that has overwhelmed your tonsils' ability to filter it out.
Common Symptoms
- A severe sore throat that makes swallowing difficult or painful.
- Tonsils that look red or swollen.
- White or yellow patches of pus, which is thick infected fluid, on the tonsils.
- Swollen, tender lymph nodes in the neck, which are the small bumps that help filter your blood.
- A fever or chills.
- Bad breath.
- A scratchy or muffled sounding voice.