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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I’m 14 and I had my tosils taken out on the 29th, it’s now day 5. My pain isn’t too bad compared to day 3 and 4. The only time it hurts is when I eat or talk. I take Tylenol every 4 hours so it minimizes the pain. The worst is when I get up in the morning while having 12 hours without Tylenol. I recommend drinking lots even tho it hurts the water will help heal faster, also drink Gatorade to help with your electrolytes, but make sure to have a glass of water after the Gatorade as it makes your throat feel thick and irritates it, as for me anyway. I don’t recomend eating a doughnut as you may think it’s soft and easy to eat, but it was actually quite difficult and sore
Hi there all! 46 yo male and I had a full tonsillectomy/uvulacotmy/adenoidectomy. So here goes my observations:
Day1/ Not bad, a sore throat comparable to a bad cold’s sore throat. Was very thirsty , some bleeding that night and painful to swallow but not awful.
Day2/ A cake walk, was eating soft food, pain was reduced 80-85%. No problem there.
Day3/ Same as day 2
Day4/ Here’s where the trouble started…Lots of pain, could barely swallow, lost my voice, couldn’t sleep.
Day5/ Same as Day 4
Day 6/ a little more bearable than days 4 and 5.
And so it goes on…
Here are some warnings/suggestions….
They will tell you to drink LOTS of water. Great, except for the fact that by doing that you have washed all of the electrolytes out of your body and your entire upper body with get BAD muscle cramps. Take magnesium and potassium supplements with your water. It cured my muscle aches, which were horrendous.
Fisherman’s Friend Throat Lozenges help quite a bit too. Its not a cure all, but makes it more bearable.
Your two choices in pain meds (Percocet and Advil) both have shortcomings. Percocet will take away a lot of the swelling, but leave you feeling like a zombie, unable to think or be awake. When it comes to taking Advil, swelling comes back (even after upping the dose by a factor of 2), but at least you will be able to think more clearly. Neither one is a great solution but at least you know what youre getting yourself into.
I waited on the ice cream until day 4. I suggest you do the same.
Good luck and best wishes to all of you.
Thank you for this I’ve been struggling with eating and loosing weight from the pain but if I can get through it I can eat what ever the hell I can stand to get down my throat right and it will not harm me as in rip my stuff open I had my tonsils removed plus my upper plate uvila
I just got my tonsils removed this morning and have been googling stuff all day LOL!
I got mine removed on the 31 and I’ve googled about them ever since to make sure I’m not dying or anything
Me to I’m on day 2 I’m so scared it’s like I can’t spit up I have to swallow this is not good, hope it works out in the long run
I’m 20, had mine taken out on the 11th (8 days ago). I will say the first five days were absolute HELL. Terrible nausea from pain meds (percocet and x-strength Tylenol). May also have been from not eating enough. The strongest advice I can give is KEEP DRINKING WATER. It will not be easy to get down but after day 6, I am now able to eat mostly normal foods and have minimal pain. My mom has noticed white scabs (checks my mouth occasionally) but I have yet to feel any falling out and I am almost done day 8.
hi, mine taken out at 17th, now is day 6, still feel pain but i can eat soft porridge and jelly with minimal pain..hopefully will feel better
Im 19 and had mine taken out 5 days ago, and as of now the pain isn’t too bad, it only gets bad when I try to eat even semi solid foods. I tried to eat Mac and cheese last night which absolutely killed. Does anyone have any suggestions for good soft meals that will at least get me some protein or carbs? Not looking forward to the scabs falling off in two days.
try drinking ensure shakes, they have lots of protein and vitamins, it makes your saliva a little thick which is uncomfortable, but a small bottle sized portion is a good way to fill you up without the pain of eating
I’m 55 on day 7 from surgery day. Scrambled eggs and protein drinks, jello and baby food is what I can gag down. Lots of water in small sips.
Soups, jello, bread in broth, u can blend some stuff as well