Question
A 13-year-old boy, in elementary school, has recently started experiencing throat pain, which is also painful when drinking water. He has a severe cough and now has a high fever that cannot be brought down. What are the clinical symptoms of pediatric tonsillitis?
Answer
Pediatric tonsillitis is one of the common childhood diseases, characterized primarily by throat pain, which often leads to crying and restlessness in many children. Most children will have a fever, with temperatures reaching 39-40 degrees Celsius in severe cases. The child may feel tired and have a headache, even chills. At this time, the tonsils become red and swollen, mainly due to inflammation-induced congestion. In addition to tonsillitis, the condition may further affect the heart and kidneys, leading to conditions such as myocarditis and nephritis. The symptoms of tonsillitis can be severe, even life-threatening, making timely treatment crucial.