Swollen tonsils

Symptom
  • Chronic nature: Chronic streptococcus causes swollen tonsils - doesn't mean you're going to see visible symptoms
  • Streptococcus: Chronic streptococcus that gets deep in the tonsils, not on the surface, so it doesn't show up on throat swabs
  • Medical misunderstanding: Doctors still don't know that strep and mono cause tonsillitis and swollen tonsils - these go undiagnosed
  • Epstein-Barr virus: Low grade viral infections including Epstein-Barr virus cause chronic tonsil swelling
  • Mono: Mono causes tonsil swelling and often goes undiagnosed
  • Diagnostic challenges: Streptococcus gets deep in the tonsils not on the surface, so when doctors do throat swabs they may not be able to culture it because it doesn't show up in surface testing
  • Primary causes: Streptococcus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), mono - these get deep in the tonsils, not on the surface
  • Antibiotic connection: Stronger antibiotics given for tonsillitis, sore throats, and ear infections in childhood can contribute to ongoing strep issues and later health problems

Sources(2)