close window
Housecall Archives
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffThe germs that cause viral and bacterial tonsillitis are contagious. Therefore, the best prevention is to practice good hygiene. Teach your child to:
- Wash his or her hands thoroughly and frequently, especially after using the toilet and before eating
- Avoid sharing food, drinking glasses or utensils
To help your child prevent the spread of a bacterial or viral infection to others:
- Ask your doctor when it's all right for your child to return to school
- Teach your child to cough or sneeze into a tissue or, when necessary, into his or her elbow
- Teach your child to wash his or her hands after sneezing or coughing
References
- Tonsillopharyngitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec08/ch090/ch090i.html. Accessed March 21, 2010.
- Fact sheet: Tonsillitis. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/tonsillitis.cfm. Accessed March 21, 2010.
- Tonsillitis. Healthy Children: American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/ear-nose-throat/pages/Tonsillitis.aspx. Accessed March 21, 2010.
- The difference between a sore throat, strep and tonsillitis. Healthy Children: American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/ear-nose-throat/pages/The-Difference-Between-a-Sore-Throat-Strep-and-Tonsillitis.aspx. Accessed March 21, 2010.
- Wetmore R. Tonsils and adenoids. In: Kliegman R, et al., eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/193178650-2/0/1608/0.html. Accessed April 5, 2010.
- Fact sheet: Tonsils and adenoids. American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/tonsilsAdenoids.cfm. Accessed March 21, 2010.
- Tonsillar cellulitis and abscess. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual of Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec19/ch222/ch222b.html. Accessed April 5, 2010.
- Streptococcal and enterococcal infections. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec14/ch171/ch171d.html. Accessed March 21, 2010.
- Information from your family doctor. Sore throat. American Family Physician. 2006;74:1185.
- Get smart: Know when antibiotics work. Symptom relief. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/antibiotic-use/symptom-relief.html. Accessed April 5, 2010.
- Fact sheet: Tonsils and adenoids post-op. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/tonsilsAdenoidsPostop.cfm. Accessed March 21, 2010.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 7, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on