Tonsillectomy Scabs- How and when do they fall off?
Regardless of the tonsillectomy method used, some sort of scab is going to form over the the area from which your tonsils have been cut, coblated, and/or cauterized.
It’s normal. It is normal. People often become obsessed with the appearance of the tonsil beds as they recover from tonsillectomy. Almost like a recently lost tooth, it can be hard to resist the temptation to explore the new landscape. This too is normal. I strongly advise against molesting the area with foreign objects. Those scabs will fall off on their own. Touching, poking, or scraping on them increases the risk of hemorrhage and you don’t want that.
Many Otoraryngologists, or ear, nose and throat, (ENT) specialists recommend eating a somewhat rough diet, (think dry toast), to keep the affected area clear of excessive tonsillectomy scab build-up. This advice is most often given in the United Kingdom and Australia. Most ENT’s in the United States advise a soft diet.
Which ever route you take, there will likely be formation of tissue that covers the tonsil beds. I recommend following the advice I give in other pages of this site; keep the throat moist, avoid sharp foods, stay hydrated, take pain medications on schedule, sleep upright if possible, and leave those tonsillectomy scabs alone. They will normally begin to slough of at about day seven or eight of your recovery.
What Happens When Tonsillectomy Scabs Fall Off
You may feel a sharp pain occasionally as the tonsillectomy scabs fall off. This is common. This is normal. There is a slight increase in risk of bleeding while tonsillectomy scabs fall off. If you do have some bleeding, try gargling with ice cold water. This will usually stop the bleeding. If this doesn’t work, and bleeding becomes profuse, call 911 or get to a hospital immediately. Don’t panic. In there relatively rare cases, health care professionals have great success at stopping the bleed.
Daily Photos of Throat After Tonsillectomy. Caution: Scabs
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Hi everyone. I’m on day 13 of my recovery! Day 1-3 was my worst. Not being able to swallow, take meds, drink etc. on day for I finally was able to get a large mouthful of apple juice swished around and forced down. It hurt, but afterwards I felt so much better. I drink Gatorade, orange and lime. Lots and lots of jello. Day 5 I was able to get Mac n Cheese down! I had a lot of mucus coming up from day 1. Even at day 13 but not as bad. I’ve basically eaten cream of mushroom and chicken soups as well as mashed potatoes. I started mixing ramen noodles. My doctor suggested me to stay away from milk products. I’m 36 and it’s been a challenge but I wouldn’t done it differently. Hang in there it’s going get better. Hope this helps.
When they start to fall off I found that warm liquids are way easier to swallow. Cold anything will bring a burning sensation directly on that new tissue and it hurts. Warm water or tea soothes the area.
You won’t scabs don’t hurt that bad once on day 7 and 8 barely any pain
I’m on day 5. I’ve been eating cool chicken broth with soggy crackers and scrambled eggs, also oatmeal blended into bits and then cooked runny is alright. I stopped taking pain meds as I don’t think they are doing much good anymore but expect to need them again when the scabs start falling off. I’m 34.
I’m 23 too and today is day 7, I was doing perfectly fine until last night . I went to eat some Mac n cheese and then the burning started . I’m not sure if this is normal or not . But I see the scabs are now falling off . I can’t eat anything now , or it stings so badly . Does anyone know how long this will last ? I think it’s already depressing that I can’t leave my house but now I’m so hungry and can’t eat :/
Im 17 and had mine done on the 22nd. At about 9:00 tonight I had a small cough that I caused part of my scab to come off and it hurt a lot but after managing to get down some cold water and about 15 minutes later l was much better. My pain now is like a 2 and when the scab came off it was like an 8 or 9. I hope you feel better. As far as food goes just get down anything you can. Even if it’s only liquids, just try to drink things that have calories; vibe been drinking juice and Powerade. This way, even if you aren’t getting any food, you at least get some energy.
Hi, Uche! I’m going through the same thing. I’m on day 9 and it still hurts very badly to swallow and eat. Last night, I had a scrambled egg mixed with rice and was able to get that down and had some jello after to try and soothe pain from eating. My brother told me you can go for a week without eating (if you had to) but just make sure you’re drinking lots of fluids. I’ve been drinking water, Gatorade, and Apple Juice.
Thank you!
I feel you Amyd05, it’s so frustrating not to be able to fully eat. I thought I was going to start crying yesterday eating some mashed potatoes . Did it hurt eating jello ? Lol that’s solid information to know . My go to is Powerade , I’m going to try some tea later . Wish me luck
Thank you !
Uche
I tried soup on day 6 and I find that I can’t eat hot food/liquids yet. Jello feels good but I was only able to really start eating it on day 5. Good luck!