tonsillitis infectious?

[calben]

:confused: always thought and told cannot catch tonsillitis just by being around others. Any ideas can your child infect others by just playing with them??

[rynosmum]

I always thought that you could catch the cold or flu from others which could lead into tonsilitis. That is, you can't catch tonsilitis as such but can catch the cold which it may have originated from.

I used to get it a lot as a kid and was always given antibiotics which should mean it is bacterial, not a viral infection - thus you cannot catch it.

.....I think...... :confused:

[melfunction]

Found this on Webmd about tonsillits.



What causes tonsillitis?
Most often, tonsillitis is caused by a virus. Less frequently, it is caused by a bacterium, such as the one that also causes strep throat. In rare instances, tonsillitis can also be caused by fungi or parasites.

Close contact with an infected person is the main risk factor for tonsillitis. Droplets of disease-causing agents (pathogens) pass through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes; you may then become infected after breathing in these droplets. Infection can also occur if pathogens get on the skin or on objects that come in contact with the mouth, nose, eyes, or other mucous membranes.

Nasal obstruction causes you to breath through your mouth, which increases the risk of tonsillitis.


Hope this helps

[rynosmum]

:eek:

I hope I never breathed on anyone....