Question
My daughter is 1 year old. She has just started to feel pain when swallowing water, and I noticed she has a slight cough along with a low-grade fever. What clinical symptoms might a child with tonsillitis experience?
Answer
When a child has tonsillitis, they will first experience throat pain, which may be severe enough to prevent normal swallowing of food. The child may also have a fever, which can be as high as 40 degrees Celsius in severe cases. Other symptoms may include fatigue, headache, general body aches, and chills. When the pharyngeal mucosa is inflamed, the tonsils become significantly swollen and may lead to serious complications such as sepsis, rheumatism, and arthritis. Therefore, if any of these symptoms are observed in a child, it is important to seek medical attention promptly to avoid complications.