Tonsillitis at the base of the tongue: What you need to know

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor Ear, Nose Throat Doctor - Department of Medical Examination and Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International Hospital

Tonsillitis at the base of the tongue is one of the diseases of the upper respiratory tract, caused by the attack of pathogens on the tonsils at the base of the tongue, leading to an inflammatory reaction.

The tonsils are lymph nodes that have a local immune response to pathogens, avoiding these pathogens from developing and causing respiratory infections. The tonsils in the pharynx develop into a closed ring, called Waldeyer's ring. The base of the tongue is one of the tonsils located in this lymphatic ring, but it is rarely mentioned.
Tonsillitis at the base of the tongue refers to the lymphoid tissue in the base of the tongue that is attacked by pathogens that cause inflammation.

When having tonsillitis at the base of the tongue, the patient often has the following manifestations:
The most typical symptom of tonsillitis is that the patient feels pain when swallowing saliva, or food, and always feels like Having a foreign body stuck in the throat is very uncomfortable and sometimes the patient finds it difficult to pronounce. Accompanied by a dirty, mossy tongue, white in color. Nature of pain: Pain spreads to the area behind the ear, increases when the patient has a dry cough, when swallowing food or saliva, seriously affecting eating and communication activities. Fever: The patient may have a mild fever during acute inflammation. The throat area next to the tonsils, the bottom of the tongue is hot, red, swollen, and dry than usual. If the cause of the disease is caused by a virus, the patient may show symptoms such as conjunctivitis, runny nose... When the tonsils are inflamed at the base of the tongue, the patient often has signs of wheezing. If tonsillitis is caused by bacteria: The tonsils are often enlarged, notice that the surface of the throat has small dots like pus or white, the lymph nodes at the corner of the jaw are swollen and painful, there may be fever, fatigue, sore throat.. The disease will quickly spread to other areas such as larynx, bronchi, trachea... causing laryngotracheal-bronchitis, leading to symptoms such as fever, cough, cough with phlegm, feeling hoarse , increased mucus secretion, chest pain and discomfort in the body. Other signs: the patient is often tired, loss of appetite, headache, bad breath...

Like other tonsillitis in the waldeyer ring, the causative agent for the tonsils at the base of the tongue includes:
Viruses: Viruses that cause inflammation of the upper respiratory tract can all be the cause of tonsillitis at the base of the tongue, They enter the respiratory tract through contact with secretions of an infected person or through ingestion. The virus that most often causes this condition is the epstein-barr virus. Bacterial: The most common bacteria that causes tonsillitis at the base of the tongue is group A streptococcus, in addition, other bacteria that can cause pharyngitis can all be the cause of tonsillitis at the base of the tongue such as gonorrhea, Chlamydia... Fungal: Fungi are also the cause of infection in this tonsil organization. Causes of microbial attack Poor oral hygiene, bacteria growth and disease. Exposure to people with respiratory illness who do not take precautions to prevent spread. Spread from other contaminations on the upper respiratory tract such as: Rhinitis, chronic pharyngitis... Impaired resistance: People with weak resistance are susceptible to the attack of pathogens. Weather changes: When the weather changes, microorganisms grow well and attack the body.

The treatment of tonsillitis at the base of the tongue depends on the cause of the disease and the symptoms of the patient. Includes medical and surgical treatments.

Indicated for the treatment of acute tonsillitis.
Symptomatic treatment: Depending on the patient's symptoms to use some drugs such as pain relievers, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anti-edematous. If you have a cough with phlegm, you need to take an expectorant and anti-inflammatory drug. If the cause is caused by bacteria: It is necessary to treat with antibiotics, antibiotics are used orally, can be combined or used alone locally with topical drugs, lozenges. If the cause is fungal: Antifungal drugs should be used. Care regimen: Eat nutritious meals, drink enough water, rinse your mouth and throat regularly with physiological saline, keep your teeth clean.

Indicated when:
When tonsillitis recurs many times a year from 5-6 times. The tonsils at the base of the tongue swell, obstructing the airway, causing sleep apnea syndrome, lack of oxygen supply to the body. Unresponsive medical treatment. Complications spread to neighboring organs such as: otitis media, sinusitis, lower respiratory tract infection... Surgical measures include: Depending on the patient's condition, there are surgical methods. Suitable technique:
Dissection with knife, scissors and noose: The advantage is that the incision heals, but the disadvantage is bleeding. Trimming the tonsils at the base of the tongue with the Sluder - Ballenger instrument: This method is rarely used because the incision is bad and the doctor must have experience in treatment. Coblator method: The advantage is less damage to surrounding tissue, fast wound healing, less bleeding. The downside is the high cost.

To prevent tonsillitis at the base of the tongue by the following measures:
Have a nutritious diet, do not eat hot spicy foods, contain stimulants, do not smoke, limit alcohol. Exercise regularly to improve resistance. Add enough water to the body. Daily oral hygiene, regularly gargle with physiological saline. Treatment when suffering from dental diseases, diseases of the nose and throat to prevent the risk of affecting the tonsils in the tongue area. Tonsillitis can also cause a number of dangerous complications depending on the causative agent. Therefore, when there are signs of the disease, it is necessary to treat it early and properly to avoid complications.
Vinmec International General Hospital examines and treats common nasopharyngitis diseases, head and neck tumors, congenital malformations of the ear, nose and throat area with the most optimal internal and surgical methods for patients, both children and adults. Coming to Vinmec International General Hospital, patients will receive a direct, dedicated and professional examination from a team of qualified and experienced medical staff.