Tonsillitis or Strep Throat?

Tonsillitis or strep throat? What is the difference between the two? Let’s chat about the differences and how each one is managed. What do you look out for and what are those differences? 

Tonsillitis:

Symptoms often include:
1. Sore throat

2. Difficulty swallowing

3. Swollen and red tonsils

4. White or yellow patches on the tonsils

5. Pain or discomfort in the ears

6. Fever

7. Headache

8. Fatigue

Diagnosis:
Bacteria and viruses can often cause tonsillitis. A healthcare professional usually diagnoses it based on symptoms and a physical examination.

Throat cultures or rapid strep tests may be done to see if a bacteria, particularly Streptococcus, is the cause.

Treatment:
Viral tonsillitis often resolves on its own, and treatment focuses on symptom relief. Bacterial tonsillitis, if caused by Streptococcus, is usually treated with antibiotics. Commonly prescribed antibiotics include penicillin or amoxicillin.

Strep Throat (Streptococcal Pharyngitis):

Symptoms often include:

1. Sudden and severe sore throat

2. Painful swallowing

3. Red and swollen tonsils with white patches

4. Fever

5. Headache

6. Body aches

7. Nausea or vomiting

8. Rash (scarlet fever, which is a strep related condition)

Diagnosis: Strep throat is diagnosed by doing a quick test or a culture. The rapid strep test provides results in a few minutes, but a throat culture is a more specific test and can be done if the rapid test is negative and suspicion remains high.

Treatment: Antibiotics are the primary treatment for strep throat to prevent potential complications. It’s crucial to complete the full course of antibiotics even if you’re feeling better after just a few doses. All the bugs need to be killed and that takes the full course of antibiotics to obtain. 

In summary, tonsillitis is a general term for inflammation of the tonsils, which can be caused by both viral and bacterial infections. Strep throat is a specific type of bacterial tonsillitis caused by the Streptococcus bacteria. The symptoms overlap, but strep throat tends to have a more sudden onset and is associated with more intense symptoms. Diagnosis involves clinical evaluation and may include throat cultures or rapid strep tests. Treatment for bacterial tonsillitis, including strep throat, typically involves antibiotics. If you want to be sure, the team at Genexia Health offers at home rapid strep tests and throat cultures (with a requisition from your doctor or one of our nurse practitioners).

Hope this helps. Wishing you a sore throat free day. 

Elisabeth 

Head Nurse Genexia Health