Are Tonsils Swollen with Strep Throat?

Tonsillitis refers to tonsils that are inflamed. Strep throat is an infection caused by a specific type of bacteria, Streptococcus. When your child has a strep throat, the tonsils are usually very inflamed, and the inflammation may affect the surrounding part of the throat as well.

What is the difference between strep throat and tonsillitis?

One key difference is that tonsillitis involves inflammation of the tonsils, while strep throat involves a specific bacterium infecting the throat. This could also affect the tonsils. Because of this, a person could have strep throat with tonsillitis at the same time.

Do your tonsils swell with strep throat?

Symptoms of strep throat are very similar to tonsillitis but tend to be more severe. Common symptoms include sore throat, pain when swallowing, fever, bad breath, tiny red spots inside the mouth and throat, swollen lymph nodes, and inflamed tonsils.