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Diagnosed With Tonsillitis. Had Fever ,chills, Heart Rate High. Lymph Nodes Still Swollen. Depressed. What To Do?
Question: My ENT doctor diagnosed me with tonsillitis (no culture done). Put me on Augmentin for 10 days. Before the antibiotics, I had fever, chills, night sweating, elevated heart rate, swollen lymph nodes in neck, sore throat and ear pressure. Now after 10 days, the sore throat is gone, the ear pressure is gone and he said my tonsils look much better. However, 1 of my 2 lymph nodes on my neck is still huge (hurts to move my neck sometimes), I still have an elevated heartrate (90 bpm as opposed to the normal 60) and I am still sweating at night. Is this normal? I am a very healthy person (gym 4 days/week cardio 3 days/week) and am beginning to get depressed.
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
1. Since most of your initial symptoms have subsided, there is no cause for worry.
2. There are about three hundred lymph nodes in the head and neck region alone. They are normally not palpable. They also do not regress to their original size after the inflammation subsides. A couple of enlarged nodes only needs to be followed up. Sometimes, swollen lymph nodes take many weeks to subside.
3. Night sweats, tender nodes and tachycardia are very non-specific symptoms which may have a variety of reasons, including unresolved inflammation or infection.
4. You need to discuss with your doctor about this. He may advise continuing the antibiotic or changing it. You may be given supportive treatment if the infection seems to be viral. You may also need an Ultrasound (USG) Neck and an FNAC (Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology) of the lymph nodes if they do not subside. Routine blood counts and tests can also reveal ongoing infection and inflammation.
I hope I have answered your query. If you have any follow up queries, I will be available to answer them.
Regards
Thank you for your query.
1. Since most of your initial symptoms have subsided, there is no cause for worry.
2. There are about three hundred lymph nodes in the head and neck region alone. They are normally not palpable. They also do not regress to their original size after the inflammation subsides. A couple of enlarged nodes only needs to be followed up. Sometimes, swollen lymph nodes take many weeks to subside.
3. Night sweats, tender nodes and tachycardia are very non-specific symptoms which may have a variety of reasons, including unresolved inflammation or infection.
4. You need to discuss with your doctor about this. He may advise continuing the antibiotic or changing it. You may be given supportive treatment if the infection seems to be viral. You may also need an Ultrasound (USG) Neck and an FNAC (Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology) of the lymph nodes if they do not subside. Routine blood counts and tests can also reveal ongoing infection and inflammation.
I hope I have answered your query. If you have any follow up queries, I will be available to answer them.
Regards
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. Yogesh D
Answered by
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