What is the best medicine for tonsillitis?
Tonsillitis is a common upper respiratory tract infection, which mainly manifests as throat pain, fever, difficulty swallowing and other symptoms. Choosing the right drug for different causes (bacterial or viral) is key. The following are the medication recommendations and precautions for tonsillitis that have been hot topics on the Internet in the past 10 days. They are combined with medical advice and organized into structured data for reference.
1. Common causes and symptoms of tonsillitis

| Cause type | Main symptoms | Proportion (reference) |
|---|---|---|
| bacterial infection | High fever (>38.5℃), tonsil abscess, and cervical lymphadenopathy | About 30%-40% |
| viral infection | Low-grade fever, runny nose, cough, throat congestion | About 60%-70% |
2. Recommend drug treatment plan
| drug type | Representative medicine | Applicable situations | Usage and dosage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antibiotics (bacterial) | Amoxicillin, Cefixime | Diagnosed with bacterial infection | Adults: 500mg/time, 3 times/day (treatment course 5-7 days) |
| antipyretic analgesics | Ibuprofen, acetaminophen | Fever or significant pain | Adult: 400mg/time (interval 6 hours) |
| Chinese patent medicine | Pudilan Anti-inflammatory Tablets, Lanqin Oral Liquid | Mild or adjuvant treatment | Take according to the dosage instructions |
| topical lozenges | Cedi iodine lozenges, watermelon cream | Relieve throat discomfort | 1-2 tablets/time, 4-6 times daily |
3. Precautions and taboos
1.Antibiotics must be prescribed by your doctor: Overuse of antibiotics may lead to drug resistance, and there is no need to use them for viral infections.
2.Allergy history check: People who are allergic to penicillin should avoid using amoxicillin and can substitute azithromycin.
3.diet conditioning: Drink more water, avoid spicy and irritating food, and recommend warm and cool liquid diet (such as porridge, soup).
4.Indications for medical treatment: If high fever persists (>3 days), difficulty breathing or purulent secretions increase, seek medical attention in time.
4. Recent hot and related topics
1.Tonsillitis increases after "Two Yangs": Some recovered COVID-19 patients report recurring throat symptoms, and experts recommend focusing on symptomatic treatment.
2.Controversy over the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine: Whether Pudilan and other Chinese patent medicines need to be combined with antibiotics has triggered discussion and needs to be judged based on individual circumstances.
3.Medication safety for children: Pediatricians remind children with tonsillitis to use lozenges with caution to avoid the risk of suffocation.
5. Summary
Medication for tonsillitis needs to be selected based on the cause and symptoms. For bacterial infections, antibiotics are mainly used, while for viral infections, the focus is on relieving symptoms. While using medication rationally, paying attention to rest and dietary regulation are the keys to recovery. If symptoms worsen or persist, seek medical attention promptly.
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