Summarize the following:
Your tonsils are the glands that sit at the back of your mouth on both sides of your throat. Bacterial tonsillitis may cause small, white, pus-filled spots on your tonsils. Look in a mirror, open your mouth wide, and look closely at the tissue on either side of the back of your throat. If it's too hard to see, get a family member to look for you and try shining a light back there. It's normal for your tonsils to look red and swollen with bacterial or viral tonsillitis the white, pus-filled spots are more common to bacterial infections. Use your pointer and middle fingers to gently press along both sides of your neck, on your throat under the angle of your chin, and behind your ears. Feel for a hard or tender lump about the size of your pinkie fingernail. This could be a swollen lymph node. Though your lymph nodes can swell any time your body is fighting an infection, swollen nodes are more common with bacterial infections. Sometimes, bacteria from a throat infection can spread to the fluid in your middle ear, causing a middle ear infection (or otitis media). Symptoms of a middle ear infection include ear pain in one ear, difficulty hearing, balance problems, fluid draining from the ear, and fever. A peritonsillar abscess, also called quinsy, is an almost sure sign of bacterial tonsillitis. An abscess is a collection of pus this occurs on one side between your tonsil and the wall of your throat. Pay attention to the following signs and symptoms that may indicate a peritonsillar abscess, and see your doctor right away if these symptoms are present: Sore throat that is getting progressively worse on one side Difficulty swallowing A change in voice called "hot potato voice" in which vowels may sound muffled Swollen lymph nodes Large, red swelling on one side of the tonsils Difficulty opening your mouth Bad breath that was not present previously The uvula the dangling tissue at the back of your throat may look like it's being pushed to the unaffected side (no longer midline) Some complications of bacterial tonsillitis include scarlet fever and rheumatic fever, though these usually only occur if the infection is left untreated. Both of these infections can cause a skin rash. If you notice any new rashes while you have a sore throat, consider it a likely indication of a bacterial infection and see your doctor right away. Rheumatic fever can also cause widespread joint pain.
Check your tonsils for white spots. Feel your neck for swollen lymph nodes. Consider an ear infection an indication that bacteria are present. Watch out for an abscess by your tonsil. Notice the development of any skin rashes.