Diagnosis and Tests for Tonsillitis
If you suspect that you have tonsillitis, how then does your doctor diagnose your condition? Here are some of the things your healthcare provider will do to diagnose tonsillitis:
- Ask about the symptoms you have experienced, such as fever, runny nose, cough, stomach ache and rash
- Examine your throat for redness, white spots, or swelling on your tonsils.
- Examine your ears and nose for other signs of infection
- Feel the sides of your neck to see if your lymph nodes are swollen and tend.
Once your healthcare provider has confirmed your tonsillitis diagnosis, they will need to determine whether the infection results from a virus or bacteria (strep throat). To do this they may request a bacteria culture test.
This procedure will involve your healthcare provider taking a cell and saliva sample from the back of your throat with a long cotton swab. Afterwards they will check the sample to see if it tests positive for Group a Streptococcus bacteria. If you have positive results that means you have strep throat. If your results are negative, you have viral tonsillitis.