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 currently on day 8 and my scab is coming off on one side as a whole. Most pictures it looks like it gradually falls off but mine is like one big junk. I’m nervous it’s not supposed to be coming off so quick and easy.
Currently on day 6 and honestly not as bad as I feared ! Obviously it’s painful and I’ve noticed a lot of bleeding (constantly tasting blood) but I’ve kept up on my meds and as my doctor advised – eat as normal! Even in the most amounts of pain (ie when I wake up in the night) the best thing I’ve found is making a slice of toast and forcing it down with a lot of water!! I find it helps to take one type of med every 2 hours – ibuprofen codine and paracetamol. Also I would definitely advise getting some Phenergan to sleep! Also I constantly have kept a hot microwave wheat bag around my throat pretty much 24/7 which has really helped! Apart from that all I can say is don’t freak out! Reading comments I got so scared but it’s honestly not nearly as bad as I thought – I’ve had worst during bouts of tonsillitis !!! Just keep up with the meds constantly (make sure you have enough in the house for recovery) drink a lot fluids and eat as much as you can!
Well today is Day 6 for me i had mine done on the 7th. And not going to lie everyone had me scared out of my mind for this surgery but I have had no issues at all yet. I’ve stayed on top of pain meds and doing what need to and I’ve felt great. Pain has been very manageable noting couldn’t handle. Now my only issue is being able to eat of course which has been a big issue nothing tastes right it tastes nasty for most part.
Hi Julia. Thanks for commenting? May I ask, what method did your ENT use? Also, have you been eating a particular diet since surgery? Liquid? Rough? Soft? Thanks!
I’m day 10 of my post op. Days 4-7 we’re pretty horrible for me, ending up almost passing out on day 5. I noticed a little bleeding a time or two during this process, not from exerting myself or anything. I assumed it was from the scabs coming off. Well day 10, I still have scabs, obviously not as thick as previous days. But is it still normal for a little bleeding to still occur? It freaks me out every time I taste that copper/metallic taste & I’ve got to look at my throat. I’ve stayed well hydrated throughout this whole process by drinking plenty of water and Gatorade. But I’m still experiencing acute pain while swallowing. I’m suppose to return to work in 3 days. Which scares me, because it seems like the times I’ve noticed the bleeding is when I’ve tried to talk more than 10’mins at a time. I work in the medical field and I have to talk to patients all day. I’m worried about more bleeding. Any suggestions or anyone else experiencing the same?
Hi , I got my tonsils removed on January 15th. It has been 15 days and I still have pain all throughout the day. My doctor did refer me some steroids very small tablets that helped me swallow food easier. My doctor also recommended keeping a bottle of water with a straw by my bedside so when I wake up at night to drink it. I was hoping I would be passed this by now but it still hurts to talk and I am still on soft food and narcotics as well as a sleeping aid. This ordeal cannot end soon enough.