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Diagnosed With Tonsillitis. Feels Uncomfortable In Chest And Throat While Coughing. What Should I Do?
Question: I have been sick for almost a week. I was told by a physician 4 days ago thats its tonsilitis. At the time there was no coughing. Yesterday the coughing started and it feels like an uncomfortable butterfly feeling in my upper chest and throat. I tire very easily, going up the stairs is a chore. I am a 35 year old female, non-smoker.
Dear XXXXXX
Hello I am Dr Ravinder Sharma ENT surgeon
On the basis of information provided it appears you were diagnosed as tonsillitis 4 days back. Plesse answer the following questions. This will help me in anwering your query.
Have you started some treatment for it?
Has there been some improvement after treatment?
Is there any difficulty in swallowing?
Do you have fever?
Do you have pain in throat?
Is this the first time you were diagnosed with tonsillitis or it is off and on?
Cough is seen in acute tonsillitis or acute pharyngitis. We hear complaints of painful swallowing and heaviness in throat. Infections of tonsils and throat also causes malaise and weakness as you have mentioned in your question.
I will wait for your answers before I give a complete reply.
With warm regards
Ravinder Sharma
Hello I am Dr Ravinder Sharma ENT surgeon
On the basis of information provided it appears you were diagnosed as tonsillitis 4 days back. Plesse answer the following questions. This will help me in anwering your query.
Have you started some treatment for it?
Has there been some improvement after treatment?
Is there any difficulty in swallowing?
Do you have fever?
Do you have pain in throat?
Is this the first time you were diagnosed with tonsillitis or it is off and on?
Cough is seen in acute tonsillitis or acute pharyngitis. We hear complaints of painful swallowing and heaviness in throat. Infections of tonsils and throat also causes malaise and weakness as you have mentioned in your question.
I will wait for your answers before I give a complete reply.
With warm regards
Ravinder Sharma
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I was given penicillin v potassium 300 mg. 2 tablets twice a day. Throat pain was severe, but somewhat better now. Still have white spots at back of throat. And my throat, below the chin, is very tender to touch. In the mornings when waking, I cough up a large amount of greenish/yellow sputnum streaked with some blood. It is one large lump that almost has a fleshy texture as it won't break apart easily. I haven't had tonsilitis since I was a teenager. I have had fever and am sweating a lot. There has been done improvement with the throat, but the cough is worse, the uncomfortable chest feeling is new, and the sudden fatigue is new. I should also mention that 2 days ago there was some waxy blood from my ear and I have been having sudden extreme pain, like a migraine but is brief.
Dear XXXXXX
Thanks for the follow up of your query
Now I can get a better picture of what you are suffering from
I would advise you for
X XXXXXXX of chest PA view to rule out chest infection
Xray soft tissue neck AP and lateral view
complete blood count
GEt a ENT consultation
I can make out that you are suffering from acute tonsilitis or peritonsllar abscess. It appears that you had improvement in your symptoms after you have started treatment.
Chest X XXXXXXX will rule out a focus of infection in chest (may be a focus from tonsils has involved chest too)
X XXXXXXX Soft tissue neck will rule out parapharyngeal abscess (complication of peritonsillar abscess)
Presence of blood is suggestive of either a abscess that has burst into your throat or some chronic infection
Presence of XXXXXXX sputum is suggestive of pseudomonas infection - may be you will require a better antibiotic (a cephalosporin)
Blood discharge from ear is suggestive of the the fact that your infection in tonsil has spread to the ear (via a tube connecting ear and throat) and has led to the perforation of drum.
If the reports of the investigations are normal I can suggest you antibiotics and a cough suppresant to resolve the issue
The pain that you have explained can be a part of ear discharge
I hope this answers your query. It would be appropriate to take a ENT consultation at this point. Because if it is peritonsillar abscess it may need a surgical intervention
Do let me know if I can help you further on this
with warm regards
Ravinder Sharma
Thanks for the follow up of your query
Now I can get a better picture of what you are suffering from
I would advise you for
X XXXXXXX of chest PA view to rule out chest infection
Xray soft tissue neck AP and lateral view
complete blood count
GEt a ENT consultation
I can make out that you are suffering from acute tonsilitis or peritonsllar abscess. It appears that you had improvement in your symptoms after you have started treatment.
Chest X XXXXXXX will rule out a focus of infection in chest (may be a focus from tonsils has involved chest too)
X XXXXXXX Soft tissue neck will rule out parapharyngeal abscess (complication of peritonsillar abscess)
Presence of blood is suggestive of either a abscess that has burst into your throat or some chronic infection
Presence of XXXXXXX sputum is suggestive of pseudomonas infection - may be you will require a better antibiotic (a cephalosporin)
Blood discharge from ear is suggestive of the the fact that your infection in tonsil has spread to the ear (via a tube connecting ear and throat) and has led to the perforation of drum.
If the reports of the investigations are normal I can suggest you antibiotics and a cough suppresant to resolve the issue
The pain that you have explained can be a part of ear discharge
I hope this answers your query. It would be appropriate to take a ENT consultation at this point. Because if it is peritonsillar abscess it may need a surgical intervention
Do let me know if I can help you further on this
with warm regards
Ravinder Sharma
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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