Q: If you believe you have tonsillitis, it is important to see either your family doctor or an emergency doctor (if you cannot get in to see your family doctor on the same day) to get a throat swab to determine the diagnosis. The biggest concern with tonsillitis is when it is caused by Group A Strep bacteria. This will require medical treatment with antibiotics, as failure to treat it can lead to potentially dangerous complications down the road. Your doctor may be able to tell if you have a strep infection with a visual assessment. If you have discolored tonsils, an empty cough, swollen lymph nodes in your neck, and a fever, it's likely they'll need to run further tests with a throat swab. The good news is that seeking medical treatment promptly usually resolves the infection without complications. Tonsillitis may also be caused by other things, such as a viral infection. It is not always caused by strep bacteria; however, it is always best to be seen by a healthcare professional to rule this out and stay on the safe side. One of the key things that doctors will want to check in on if you have tonsillitis is whether you are able to consume adequate fluids and food daily. The main thing that would prevent you from achieving these goals is tonsils that are so swollen or painful that it hurts to eat or drink. Doctors recommend controlling your pain via medication so you can continue to eat and drink. In extreme cases of tonsillar swelling, doctors can administer corticosteroid medication that diminishes the swelling. If you are unable to eat or drink, your doctor will likely prescribe IV fluids and calories to tide you by until the corticosteroid and pain medications can take effect and decrease the pain and swelling in your tonsillar area enough for you to consume food and drinks orally. In almost all cases of tonsillitis, your doctor will recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) as needed for pain control. Both of these medications are available over-the-counter at your local pharmacy; follow the recommended dosing on the bottle. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) tends to be the better choice as it combats fever as well as pain. Most cases of tonsillitis are the result of an infection, so acetaminophen can help to bring your fever down too. However, you must be careful with acetaminophen, as it is added to so many medications, which makes it easy to overdose. Make sure to keep track of the total dosage and avoid taking more than three grams per day. Do not drink while taking acetaminophen. You may be required to take penicillin for 10 days if the doctor determines that bacteria caused your tonsillitis. Request an alternative antibiotic if you are allergic to penicillin. Finish the antibiotics even if you feel better. Neglecting the remainder of your treatment may result in tonsillitis symptoms returning or worsening, or you may develop complications down the road if you do not finish your prescribed treatment. Ask your doctor about what to do if you forget or miss a dose of the antibiotic. If antibiotics do not help, or if you experience chronic or frequent tonsillitis, then a tonsillectomy may be the last resort. Frequent tonsillitis happens when a person experiences infection multiple times over one to three years. Doctors perform a tonsillectomy to remove the two tonsils from the back of the throat. Besides being the final treatment option for tonsillitis, a tonsillectomy also alleviates sleep apnea or other breathing problems related to enlarged tonsils. Doctors generally finish the surgery in one day, but patients fully recover in approximately 7 to 10 days. In the United States, criteria for a tonsillectomy are normally 6 or more tonsillar infections over the course of 1 year, 5 infections over 2 consecutive years, or over 3 infections per year over 3 consecutive years.
A: Confirm your diagnosis by a throat swab and culture. Ensure adequate fluid and calorie intake. Take pain medications. Take antibiotics as directed by your doctor. Get a tonsillectomy.

Q: When you work with the comedo extractor, there will be a small opening in your skin where the blackhead or whitehead comes out. If you're not working with sterile tools, you may introduce bacteria into your skin, making the outbreak you're trying to treat even worse! To sterilize the comedo extractor, simply soak it in rubbing alcohol for one minute. Keep the rubbing alcohol on hand while using the extractor to continue cleaning it as you go. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly or wear vinyl gloves while working on your skin. Your hands carry many germs that you don't want to transfer to your skin. The extractor will have a loop on one end of it. Position the loop around the whitehead or blackhead you are trying to extract. If you're having trouble seeing what you're doing, try using a magnifying mirror. These can be purchased inexpensively at pharmacies, department stores, or online. At the very least, make sure you're working in a well-lit environment. Once the comedo is within the extractor's loop, you want to apply enough pressure to force the whitehead or blackhead up out of the skin. Press against the base of the comedo from all sides, working all of the material completely out of your skin. Comedones can reach deep down into the skin, so don't assume you've extracted the whole thing as soon as a little bit of material comes out. Keep pressing from different angles until nothing more emerges from your skin. When you're satisfied that you have the whole comedo, simply swipe the extractor loop over it to remove it from your skin. Either wash the extractor off in the sink or wipe the material away on a paper towel. You should sterilize the extractor for every new comedo, even if you're treating them all in one sitting. Soak the instrument in rubbing alcohol for a minute, then repeat the process with your next whitehead or blackhead. Continue until you've removed all the blemishes on your skin. When you extract a comedo, you leave an open "wound" of sorts in your skin that, while not very noticeable, will take a little while to heal. Apply a small amount of astringent to the treated areas to protect them from bacteria or debris that might cause another outbreak. Moisture your skin after applying your astringent to keep it from drying out. Do not apply makeup to your skin until you've treated it with an astringent.
A:
Sanitize the extractor. Position the extractor properly. Press down gently but firmly. Re-sanitize the extractor before using it again. Protect your opened pores.