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🤒 Childhood illness guide

Tonsillitis

A sore throat and swollen tonsils that usually eases within a week

EW

By Emma Whitfield · Pregnancy & Baby Writer

What it is

Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils at the sides of the throat.

Symptoms

  • A sore throat, problems swallowing, a high temperature, coughing, headache, feeling sick, earache and tiredness
  • More severe cases: swollen, painful glands in the neck; pus-filled spots or white patches on the tonsils; bad breath

How long it lasts

Symptoms usually go away after 3 to 4 days, but can last longer.

What helps at home

  • Get plenty of rest
  • Offer cool drinks to soothe the throat
  • Give paracetamol or ibuprofen — never give aspirin to a child under 16
  • Gargling with warm salty water can help — but children shouldn't do this

See a GP if

  • Symptoms do not go away within 1 week
  • You keep getting throat infections

Call 999 or go to A&E if you or your child:

  • Have a severe sore throat that quickly gets worse
  • Have swelling inside the mouth and throat
  • Have difficulty speaking
  • Cannot swallow
  • Have difficulty breathing
  • Have difficulty opening your mouth

Contagious period & nursery/school

Tonsillitis itself isn't contagious, but most of the infections that cause it are — the NHS doesn't give a fixed exclusion period, so use your child's symptoms (and how unwell they feel) as the guide for keeping them off nursery or school.

Tonsillitis: common questions

What is tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils at the sides of the throat. Symptoms usually go away after 3 to 4 days, but can last longer. This is general information, not a diagnosis — see a GP or call NHS 111 if you're unsure.

What are the symptoms of tonsillitis?

A sore throat, problems swallowing, a high temperature, coughing, headache, feeling sick, earache and tiredness More severe cases: swollen, painful glands in the neck; pus-filled spots or white patches on the tonsils; bad breath

When should I call 999 for tonsillitis?

Call 999 or go to A&E if you or your child: Have a severe sore throat that quickly gets worse Have swelling inside the mouth and throat Have difficulty speaking Cannot swallow Have difficulty breathing Have difficulty opening your mouth

Sources & further reading

This is general information sourced from NHS.uk, not medical advice or a diagnostic tool. Every child is different — if you're at all worried, contact your GP, call NHS 111, or in an emergency call 999. Reviewed July 2026.