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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Am just on day 5 post OP and really struggling with the pain. I have the same feeling of having food stuck somewhere back in the throat and it not wanting to dislodge. Guess it’s normal…
I’m on day 10 now, I’m guessing scabs are falling off. Throat still hurts but it’s more managable. Sort of like an unpleasant sore throat from a cold or something. Only issue I’m having is eating. I keep getting stuff stuck in my throat. It’s like it won’t swallow down. I end up having to rinse out my throat with a salt/baking soda water mix in order to get it out. Has this been a problem for anyone else? Does it get better?
hey there
im on day 7 post op. today some of my scabs started to fall out. this is a disgusting process, but when they start to fall i can already feel most of the pain going away. the worst days for me so far have been day 4 and 5. i have been able to move freely, and am going back to class/work tomorrow. im on hydrocodone 7.5. im on my second round. my best advice is too keep a positive attitude. im 22 years old and yes this recovery has been very painful, and its only worse with a bad attitude (i can attest). ice cream sucks, stick to slurpees, popsicles, and sonic slushes. the worst part about the recovery for me has been the scabs falling off, not because it hurts! but because its literally disgusting. bleeding is common so dont be surprised, i hacked up a blood clot yesterday and was able to play poker with friends and family a few hours later. i wouldnt reccomend this surgery to anyone over age 30, because im 22 and its definitely the most painful process ive ever physically gone through. and yes the scabs falling out will make you throw up. good luck to anyone considering this prcedure!
I’ve been really lucky. I had my tonsillectomy on 8/18/15 and I was fine from day one. I was able to walk, I didn’t feel drugged, and ate as soon as I got home. The next day I did throw up, but most likely because I took my pain meds before eating something. That night I had spaghetti for dinner. The next day I had chicken for dinner, and the night after that I had steak. I stopped taking my pain meds after 5 days. It’s been a little more than 3 weeks and I’m eating just fine, but sweet things taste more salty now (a common side effect that should go away within a few weeks to a few months).
My suggestion to anyone getting their tonsils out: DRINK WATER!!! I woke up every hour and drank a few gulps of water. I had a humidifier going at all times. IB Profen is your friend. If you take this with the prescribed pain meds you should have no problems. I slept in my recliner because I sleep best at an incline. I got honey-lemon chloroseptic and lots of honey-lemon cough drops. DO NOT EAT ICE CREAM. Eat ice pops instead. I walked every day, just inside the store on day one and two, but on day three I went to a museum. After that I walked at least 3 to 4 miles a day, always drinking water every 30 minutes, even if I was not thirsty.
The only time I was in pain was while I was eating. I do suggest chewing until it feels like the food is a liquid. This will feel like forever with each bite, but it’s worth it. Stay away from anything briny (pickles, sauerkraut, etc) and do not eat fruit at all. I made this mistake and it felt like acid boring a hole through my throat. Water, IB Profen, and time (about 3 minutes) made everything better.
I hope my tips help someone else have a wonderfully successful recovery from their tonsillectomy.
I am almost 46 years old and have had to take antibiotics for “tonsillitis” ( quotes because I don’t think I have ever tested positive for strep) at least 3 times a year for the last 20 years or more, and I am on my 4rth round this year alone. The solution seems to be a tonsilectomy – my quality of life is so poor that I am unable to work – however I am very apprehensive especially after reading all of your comments; this apprehensive is coupled with the fact that I have been on long time pain management and have a huge tolerance to pain meds. I have been on suboxone for 2 years and though I have had other surgeries and had to switch to regular pain meds – my ENT is giving me liquid 7.5 hydrocodone for post up and I am very worried that this will not be strong enough to control my pain and I have a very low tolerance for pain. All that being said my questions are these: will this procedure make my life better and does anyone have thoughts on the pain med?
Any and all thoughts are appreciated as the surgery is scheduled in a week and a half – thanks ahead of time….. Cynthia
I am post op day 7. My scabs have not yet fallen off. With the amount of pain I’m in, and it’s supposedly going to get worse, my advice is DONT DO IT! I’m not sure it’s worth all of this agony and frustration. 2 Vicodin every 4 hours is barely affecting this war zone n my throat. I want nothing to do with swallowing food nor does anything taste other than metal. Even ice cream is crap. If you knew me you would be shocked. I love food! Also, to anyone else reading this, 10 days off work is a MINIMAL AMOUNT to take off work. I recommend 2 weeks at least.
I was physically able to go back to work in less than a week, but my doctor wouldn’t let me. I hope you are feeling better!
I recommend gargling with 1/2 water and 1/2 peroxide a couple times per day. This cleans out the bacteria in your tonsils. I’m 34 and just had a tonsillectomy,, no fun,, but for me I know in a few weeks it’ll all have been worth it.