This problem occurs mainly in children, but it can also affect adults. In most cases, chronic tonsillitis results from infections of bacterial or viral aetiology.
Unlike the acute forms, chronic tonsillitis involve attenuated, albeit persistent, symptoms. The sore throat is mild and occasional and is associated with discomfort and burning, modest pain in the act of swallowing. Associated with this clinical picture, it is not uncommon for general malaise, low-grade fever, bad breath, suppuration (plaque formation) to appear. and easy fatigue.
If chronic tonsillitis is resistant to pharmacological treatment or causes respiratory limitations, the indication is given to their removal by tonsillectomy. Despite the attenuated symptoms, chronically inflamed tonsils can represent, in fact, a permanent focus of infection, therefore the problem is not it should never be overlooked.
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Being in a strategic position, the function of the tonsils consists in forming a first barrier against infections of the upper airways, especially important during childhood, when the immune system is still not very mature. These structures also favor immunization in the against microorganisms coming from outside, which penetrate through the nose and mouth: when inflamed, the tonsils force the body to produce antibodies capable of neutralizing viruses and bacteria. The pharyngeal tonsils (or adenoids) also participate in this defense activity against respiratory tract infections.
In some cases, however, the task of the tonsils fails: after repeated bacterial or viral attacks, these can become chronically inflamed or excessively increase in volume (hypertrophy) and in turn turn into a focus of "infection for the whole" body.
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