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
If you’re in La Crosse, WI check out the Great Big Outlet La Crosse Technology’s Factory Outlet Store
Had my tonsils removed October 19th, 2016 and I’m thinking why? It was necessary because I was always getting strep throat yearly, but the pain. OMG! I can remember asking the doctor to admit me and just give me pain meds in my I.V. Sounds silly, but I knew medication would get to me quick. When can I smoke?
Hi.. today is my 5th day.. of my surgery tonsillectomy..im 31 the others day were with a lot of pain but know. That I can’t talk because a horrible smell comes from my mouth. . Even when Imy breathing I can smell it… I don’t know what it is.. but it makes me want to throw up.. I don’t know what to expect no more . I’m scared. I can’t really eat.. hard time to drink too… I hope for this to get over soon..
35 years old with Tonsillectomy and Septoplasty done at same time one week ago. Waking up from Surgery was easy as can be with next to no pain. Discharged from hospital with liquid Vicodin around 3 hours later. That first day was extremely easy and I had no problem eating scrambled eggs, pudding, jello and bread with copious amounts of jelly. I also preferred drinking room temp liquids if possible. My easy recovery maintained itself through day 6 by following my physician’s care plan. I made sure to take my pain killers EVERY 4 hours even if the pain wasn’t too great. By doing so I was able to get out ahead of the waves of pain that came later. I continued to eat knowing that food and hydration will prevent more problems later. I also slept upright in a recliner.
As I said before, all was good (even if a little painful) up through day 6. That night, my second where scabs were coming off, I had a hard cough and sent a chunk flying across the room. What followed was the spitting of clots for the next couple of minutes. As scary as it was, I made it a point to keep track of the bleeding by spitting all the blood into a measuring cup. Luckily it stopped rather quickly and the total blood loss was about 1/4 cup. I saw my doc immediately the next morning and he said he couldn’t see where the bleed was any longer. My nose was finally healed at this point too!
By day 9 almost all of my scabs were off and all the pain was gone. I was able to eat and drink without discomfort or pain for the first time. Prior to this it always felt like my throat was on fire and I had to swallow twice to get anything down my throat. I think that I expected the worse case scenario and have been fortunate with the results. Good luck to the rest of you!
Hello 38 years old and I am on day seven of my tonscillonom. Day 1 and 2 were a breeze but day 3,4,5 were hell the pain in my throat and ear had me in tears the majority of the time. I almost wish I would have never had the surgery because the pain is unbearable. I have never experienced pain like this ever before in life. The only thing I can eat is jello and sherbert. Been trying to eat crushed ice but that hurts just as bad. Can’t really swallow liquids so my intake is very little. Yesterday day 6 was a lil better than any othef day. Had pain but not as much took pain meds twice. Today is day 7 and I feel like I felt yesterday with less ear pain.
I know the worst thing you can do is succumb to the pain and reduce fluid intake. Even if excruciating, it is vital you force yourself to drink about 8oz per hour when awake. Dehydration will not only cause fever but will hinder your healing as well as increase pain because of inflammation. DRINK, DRINK, DRINK! Keeping well hydrated allows your body to function optimally and is your best bet for a speedy recovery. Cold drinks help with restricting blood vessels and reducing inflammation on contact. Avoid warmer drinks because it encourages blood flow which isn’t good when your already at risk of bleeding at the site or when the scabs slough.
I’m 34, and just had my tonsils removed 4 days ago. Day 1 post surgery, I was still out of it most of the day, but it seemed to take a long time for the day to go by, because I was in discomfort. Day 2 actually went well; I was able to eat yogurt and mashed potatoes, but later that day I got a fever, so after noon I was sleeping on and off most of the day. Day 3 (yesterday) I had a fever again, so I was eating on ice chips and Popsicles all day. I had some vegetable soup, but all I wanted was the broth, and ate some malt-O meal.
Today is day 4, and right now I’m feeling somewhat okay; I’ve had to stop taking the Norco that I was prescribed because it gave me shortness of breath, so I take OTC Tylenol Extra Strength, and it works just fine.
My goal is to stay hydrated with water, also, tea helps sooth my throat. I don’t really want foods right now, the smell of good food does it well for me so far LOL; I’m just going to stick to broths and ice for another few days.