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 wondering if it’s normal to have blood running down one side of my throat? It’s not profuse but I can see it bright red back there. Do I need to go to ER???
Hi malessa again , 1 question, while the scabs come off, and a tiny bit of blood goes down my throat ,will I vomet?
Hi malessa,
I’m on day 8 (if I include day of surgery) and my pain is about 8 / 10. I’ve a little blood in my saliva so I presume my scabs are coming away. As you are now 3 weeks down the road from this post. What was your experience once you got to around day 8 or when the scabs came off?
hi , im malessa and I had my tonsils taken out 5 days ago, now I’m on day 6, I have really felt sharp pains yet from the scabs coming off, but I have a few questions, hopefully someone will know, 1- does it hurt alot as they come off, cause I’m quite nevous. 2-i can eat ok at this point but because I carn’t eat alot I do not want to eat anymore, so when my scabs do come off, can j eat? 3-is there always a little bit of blood as they come off, or …. sometimes not? 4-i saw some pics as the healing process goes, and even tho on the 2 week Mark is over and you can eat and stuff , their is still a bib of scab , will that bleed while I’m at school?
Hi I’m Zane I got my tonsils out last Friday it’s very interesting I’m on day 6 and there’s been sharp pains already I don’t know what to do it’s really saw and I can barely talk
Hey I’m Breana and I’m 12 years old I got my tonsils taken out 5 days ago..I am currently on day 6..I’m having a few questions after looking at this so hopefully someone will respond. How long will the scabs like stay on your tongue and also How does the pain feel when the scabs come off your tonsil marks. Oh and also has anyone been having a dry blood taste in there mouth I’ve been having it since around the 4th day and it’s horrible.Every time I swallow I taste it..PLease Help!
Hey Breana!! My name is Aryanna, I’m 13 years old and had my tonsils out last Friday so about 6 days ago or so. I’ve had many questions so it’s nice to finally find someone going through the same thing. My scans are just starting to fall off coming up to day 7&8 which I have heard are the most common days for them to fall off. I also have a very foul fast in my mouth as well when I swallow, I have tried chewing gum (mostly strains my throat from using my tongue to chew), popsicles (which aren’t always the easiest to swallow and the taste doesn’t always last) but what has helped me a lot is staying hydrated but not just by water and by drinking lots of gatorade and powerade. Back to the scabs and not to be blunt about it but the pain is unbearable at first and it hurts a lot, after it begins it’s easier to get used to but it’s definitely not the best feeling and pretty close to the worst. Thank you, and I hope this will help you!!