Strep throat can affect people of all ages but it occurs most commonly in children between the ages of 5 and 15. Strep throat is an infection of throat and tonsils caused by bacteria which make you feel sore and scratchy. Some people think that they will never get this problem if they remove their tonsils. It sounds reasonable but is it as true as we think? Can you get strep throat without tonsils or not? If you are wondering about that, you can find the answer below.
But first of all, let’s find out a little bit about strep throat and the tonsils!
Strep throat symptoms
Strep throat has occurred when you get the infection from bacteria called Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as group A streptococcus. It is very contagious and can be transmitted through airborne droplets from the infected person to others when they cough or sneeze.
You also can get the Streptococcal bacteria from them due to sharing food and drinks or even another surface like a doorknob that they touch. You pick up it unwittingly and transfer to your mouth, nose or eyes. If the person who got strep throat was not treated promptly, it can lead to complication such as rheumatic fever or kidney inflammation.
Recognize the signs and symptoms of strep throat can help you in treating as soon as possible. If you got strep throat, you would have some of the following:
- Your throat is painful even when you swallow.
- The tonsils are red and swollen; it may go along with streaks of pus or white patches on tonsils or surrounding.
- The back part of the roof of your mouth appears tiny red spots.
- Fever suddenly with the temperature of 101o F or higher.
- Tender, swollen lymph nodes in your neck.
- Vomiting and nausea. (especially in children)
- Body aches, rash, headache,…
- Those signs and symptoms of strep throat can appear and develop within five days after you exposed to the bacteria of the infected person.
What are the tonsils and tonsillectomy?
The tonsils are also known as palatine tonsils which are the pair of soft tissue, located on the right and the left sides at the back of your throat. Each tonsil has the structure of tissue similar to lymph nodes and is covered by a pink mucous membrane. There are pits that run through the mucous membrane of each tonsil are called as crypts.
The tonsils play an important role in fighting infection because they are a part of the lymphatic system. However, cut out the tonsils does not indicate exactly the risk of infection can raise up or not. Removing the tonsils is also known as tonsillectomy that is more common in children than adults but it still can occur in all ages when they suffered from the trouble with their tonsils and need surgical intervention. Some indications for tonsillectomy include:
- The tonsils are enlarged, repeatedly infected and cause obstructive upper airway, sleep disorders, severe dysphagia, or cardiopulmonary complications so surgical intervention to remove it may be necessary.
- A peritonsillar abscess that does not respond to drainage documented and medical management by the surgeon, unless the surgery is operated during the acute stage.
- Biopsy the tonsil to indicate tissue pathology.
- Febrile convulsions result from tonsillitis.
Can you get strep throat without tonsils?
You are wondering what can happen to you if you have already remove the tonsils? Or can infection or especially strep throat develop without tonsils?
The signs and symptoms of isolated infection of the throat are the only difference that the people without tonsil may suffer from. Your throat has four main clusters of lymph tissues which are Eustachian tube tonsils, pharyngeal tonsils, palatine tonsils and lingual tonsils.
Waldeyer’s Ring is a band of tissue that surrounds the back of your throat. You can have strep throat if any of these tissues get infected. You may be required to remove all of the lymph tissues by your doctor, but they can only cut out pharyngeal tonsils when you suffered from recurrent strep throat.
Removal of the tonsils by surgery seems to eliminate the potential source of infection. However, this intervention does not protect yourself completely from infection. Especially, the people who were performed tonsillectomy still have the risk of strep throat infection again but lower. It can not deny that cutting out the tonsil is the good way that can reduce the incidence of strep throat infection. So that the answer to the question that you are finding out just simply is “yes, you can but with lower risk.”
On the other hand, if you, unfortunately, get strep throat, you should see the doctor to take medication like antibiotic to relief the condition promptly. In addition, prevention is always better than cure so here are some tips for preventing strep throat even though you have removed your tonsils:
- Avoid contact with somebody that you know they are infected with strep throat; try not to touch them or share the environment because the bacteria can transmit to you.
- Wash the objects that they touch to make sure it is not the source to make you infected.
- Avoid sharing food or drinks, you should not drink the same glass or eat from the same plate to avoid get strep throat infected if there is someone in your family get this infection.
- Wash your hands especially when you are in the same area with the infected person or after you touch them because it can bring bacteria to you and others.
- Besides, you should eat a balanced diet with more vitamin C, D and Zinc to improve the immune system to help your body fight against the bacteria.
Strep throat is a common problem that can occur in everyone even the tonsils have been removed. Hope this article is useful for you to find out the answer to the question: ”can you get strep throat without tonsils?”.
Author Bio
My name is Veronica Phan. At a younger age, I have developed a strong passion about wellness, nutrition, and fitness. And by now my experience of writing articles about nutrition, fitness, and health has improved a lot. Furthermore, sharing knowledge is my special devotion. Now I spend most of my time as a main contributor of CareKees – a website provides various articles about health, nutrition, and natural home remedies.
