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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Hi my name is Hannah, I just wanted to know if anyone else has like ulcers or burn almost on there tongues?
this is my second time having a tonsillectomy, they grew back after i had them removed when i was 5. im on day 7 and i still have my scab, i have little pieces of what might be my scab coming into my mouth ive been spitting up, im not sure though. is that a way that it can happen? im scared of the pain worsening again when they fall out because today is the first day i really any better. i fell as though i have to cough quite badly on and off though out the day but wont let myself cause the pain. will coughing make the scab come out?
Im had my tonsils removed on the 20th so Im now on day 5 of recovery (excluding removal day).
My tonsil scabs looked like ‘day 4’ pics (above) this morning but this arvo I was in so much pain I cant even talk so I tried to open my mouth to have a look and my scabs look like the ‘day 12’ pics.
Its a killer! The ears, the jaw, the throat.. its like a constant pain set at around 4/10 and then it just fluctuates to a random 9/10 or if Im lucky I get to a 5 or 4/10.
I saw a couple of blood spots but they have disappeared. In New Zealand we are encouraged to eat a normal diet immediately.. ummm… I actually hate food at the moment. It hurts damn it.
TIPS during your fortnight of pain:
1. 100% recommend chewing gum (sugarfree) often like often, often.
2. drink heaps of aloe vera juice with pulp (so awesome at keeping my throat moisty and helps you stay poopy regular),
3. Set alarms for medication,
4. Make a med chart to keep track of whats next etc.. sometimes my pain is so excruciating that Im unable to think so seeing my chart with the time and what to take helps,
5. If ears are sore try wearing ear plugs and putting a beanie (winter hat) on,
6. Steamy short showers helps to wet the throat,
7. Buy a numbing spray that is also anti-inflam,
8. Ice that neck. Keep it iced. I use a sheer scalf wrapped once around the ice pack to tie it in close to my neck. You can also freeze damp wash cloths in ziplock bags, just make sure you shape them for your neck otherwise they will be big frozen squares and make sure you cover them in another bag before wraping it close to your skin or you’ll be wet.
I had mine removed the 20th as well. i havent had any bleeding yet, do you have any recommendations for what to do when bleeding does start? and ill have to try aloe juice i havent heard of that one
My scabs fell off later in the evening on my 6th day post surgery so in my unique case I was up for the entire night spitting up blood into the sink every 30 minutes. Now I realize that this behavior isn’t normal and I shouldn’t gone to see an emergency doctor sooner but instead I waited until morning. I did accidentally swallow my scabs (gross, I know) and then felt myself swallowing thick liquid afterward (blood) so I gargled (to the best of my ability) cold water which only stopped the bleeding for short period of times before I had to go back to the bathroom and do it all over again. In the morning, my ENT doctor cauterized the area again and pulled blood clots out of one side of my tonsil holes (not a fun experience) and I never bled again. I am currently on day 14 of my recovery and I feel great. There is still a slight soreness when I swallow but I can finally eat real food and my voice is back to normal so although you may be reading this only a few days after surgery, in the midst of unbearable pain, the pain does and will subside.
I had a few scabs fall off today- I have been eating softly and sometimes not eating at all- it’s the night of day 4 and I after brushing my teeth realized I had a slight bleed. Like when you brush your gums too hard. I was just wondering if the scabs fell off to soon and I should be worried. I’m not in pain.