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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Im a 28 year old female and because of swollen tonsils and tonsil crypts i decided to do tonsillectomy.
before going under operation i was so frightened because of comments of other patients
but i just tried to fool myself with the thought that I’m different and I’m gonna recover soon with minimum pain…
and blv me it worked and i never experienced any unbearable pain after my tonsillectomy ..today im on day 7 and i barely feel any pain at all… on day 1 to 4 my pain was a bit severe but it was bearable ..i just kept eating and drinking as i can..ice water apple juice pineapple juice pudding ice cream apple sauce in day 1 to 3 …and started eating scrambled eggs, mashed potatos ,soft noodles, soft bread,toast in milk Today i had mushroom and spinach omelete sandwich with cheese …
Never forget to drink water every 2 hours in your sleep time.my favorite drinks at nights was ice water or honey and water…it helps you so much to keep your throat moisturized during the night
Also it is sooooo important to have a humidifier beside you while you are asleep.
After eating any meal brush your teeth ,floss and use mouthwash…keeping your mouth as clean as possible is so helpful and your wounds will appreciate you!
i think the key to your recovery is in your mind the struggle you should take to not to be defeated by pain…just keep thinking of recovery every single moment and give thanks for that..
And note this ,the sooner you start eating the sooner your scabs will heal and fall off…so just try to eat as much as you can
I never thought it would be that easy for me to handle and I after reading all that sad and devastating comments was expecting pain, agony and being burned and tortured in a hell called tonsillectomy.
I will go through it again if i have to..cuz it worth..im so happy that i finally removed my tonsills and got rid of all those tonsil stones…
hope u have a very fast recovery with minor pain too❤
My recovery has been the exact same. I drank 20 oz water before leaving hospital. 60 oz plus per day of water and Gatorade. Put Two humidifiers in my room, up every hour to drink, eating soft foods, take pain medicine before pain kicks in. (Every 3 hours at first). The steroid helps significantly!! Kept gum in mouth during night to keep moist. I even got my house deep cleaned!!! I thank God for such a smooth recovery. I had several people praying over me….The prayers helped ❤
Also, I’m 30 yr old female with constant infection in tonsils since 20’s. Going on day 4 post op. So happy they are gone!
Got my tonsils removed on the 16th. The first 3days were okay, but now I am in all kindza hell. Tongue is swollen, throat is swollen, trying to swallow my saliva is agonizing so I stay spitting it out. The ear pains are just constant, cant sleep without drooling all over the place. Can’t wait for this nightmare to be over.
I hear you, I feel exactly the same. I can’t wait to be over this. Hang in there, we will get better.
I had both of my tonsils out on October 9th because the ent was concencerned one was a bit suspect, I also had tonsil stone constantly and every other week tonsillitis.
I’m now on day 13 and still in agony… is this normal? It’s been the worst thing I have ever had done and the worst recovery, since my hospital stay I’ve had 2 lots of antibiotics for a chest infection from the anaesthetic and an infection of the throat.
I just want to say if it wasn’t for this forum, I would be lost…
Also when is it possible to eat again and taste anything? X
Had my tonsils removed on the 19th oct im now on day 3. The pain yesterday was horrific. Struggling when i take my pain relief as i ferl sick. My ears hurt and crackle too, is this normal? I keep feeling like something is stuck in back of my throat did anyone have this?
Some advice would be greatly appreciated
I had mine out on the 18th. I still feel like something is stuck in my throat, but I think it’s the scabs you are feeling. Everything you describe is how I’m feeling too so it must be normal.
That’s exactly how I feel. Like something is stuck behind my throat/nose. I had mine on the 23rd and it’s been a roller coaster ride with pain and discomfort. My uvula swelled and caused small amounts of food to enter my nasal passage whenever I swallowed. Doctor says that’s what I was feeling.
Hello, my 4 year daughter is on day 3 and she’s starting to feel the scabs . My fear is that when it starts to fall if she will swallow them, all her mucus if in her nose. I’m terrified… what happened when t falls off? Do you guys spit it out? Throw up? Or what?
I had just one tonsil out because I only had a problem with one. I am so glad I did even after everyone kept saying just do both! I am diabetic and got use to not having sugary things. I got so sick of popsicles and Jello and things I was told to eat, even though I got sugar free they still had a lot of carbs. I was starving for something healthy!on day three my brother suggested baby food! If your doctor allows this I highly recommend it! It’s so much easier to swallow!and gives you a health benefit. I also got a drink called body armor! I don’t like Gatorade. Body armor has lots of vitamins and coconut water.
And even if you have to sip…..DRINK THAT WATER. I figured id take a sip every time I had to swallow, it helped get more water in me. Also taking a sip as soon as you wake seemed to help.
My 4year old just threw up a big scab on day 6 at 4 in the morning. Poor girl was terrified. She said it felt like she had a rock in her throat. She is now drinking her second cup of cold water. She won’t eat anything but soup broth and a bit of soft bread and my wife and I can see that she has lost weight. How did your little one do?