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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Hello my son 10yo just had surgery on his tonsillectomy & adenoidectomy on Dec 4.2017 it is day 6 and he is hardly not sleeping and constanct in pain.. He is complaining of earache & neck pain i have to force him to drink water or eat yogurt because he doesn’t want to do neither.. Day 6 is like the worst for him.. Any advice in what to do i dont like seeing my baby like this
Ice the outside of the neck area under jawline. I also have the ear pain, thats what brings relief, plus the tylenol with codeine for throat pain.
The squeeze applesauce is heaven sent chilled. Oatmeal has been easy to eat and filling.
Nicola my daughter is going threw the same thing right now. Water is hard for her so try sucking on ice that seemed to help a little but keep pushing liquids or you will get dehydrated. My daughter was and ended back up to the ER. Also try baby food. Frozen applesauce.
Tap water, 30 seconds in the microwave and its so much easier to get more fluids down 🙂
I can manage soft foods better than clear fluids. Any suggestions on how I can get some fluids down? The pain is to much to have more than a sip at a time 🙁
Had mine out early of 5th Dec so now well into day 4 recovery. I am so sore, feels worse after waking any ideas why this could be?
I had mine taken out Nov 29. Day 4-5 were awful soreness wise, I recommend a heating pack for your ear and jaw pain and an ice pack!! The ice pack on my throat made me feel so much better. I started taking ibuprofen day 7 and it helps so much with the pain
When u sleep. You sleep with your mouth open so the air is drying your throat out that is normal.
To help with the ear pain I have put a drop of melealuca oil on cotton and put in my ears.