When you are pregnant and suspect you may have tonsillitis, i.e. your throat is very sore and your tonsils are swollen and red, forget about treating yourself and visit a physician as soon as possible.
Tonsillitis is an acute throat infection most often caused by bacteria from the streptococcus group. The treatment relies on targeting the bacteria which cause the disease. The most commonly used group of medications are ß – lactam antibiotics (e.g. penicillin). They allow safe and effective antibiotic therapy.
When you are pregnant, the physician will examine you closely in order to diagnose the disease. Caring about your health and the health of your developing baby, the physician will probably prescribe an antibiotic in order to fight the pathogenic bacteria, which are the cause of the disease. The physician may also order additional tests (e.g. a smear from the throat) in order to precisely specify the strain of bacteria causing the infection of the tonsils.
Remember that untreated or improperly treated tonsillitis during pregnancy can inflict serious damage to you and your baby. Therefore, follow the physician's recommendations concerning the duration of the antibiotic therapy, the size of administered doses and stay at home during the disease. The infection should pass quickly.
