Yes, it is possible to get quinsy, although many people today have not heard of it. Quinsy, or a quinsy throat was well known a hundred years ago. More people developed it then because there were no antibiotics available to treat tonsillitis.
Quinsy is a complication of an infection in the tonsils. It develops as a result of acute tonsillitis as the infection spreads into the tissue surrounding the tonsil, causing a build up of pus. This abscess is what gives quinsy its medical name – peritonsillar abscess.
What are the Symptoms of Quinsy?
Tonsillitis is pretty painful but the pain of quinsy has been described as excruciating. An extreme sore throat, on one side of the throat more than the other is the most common sign that a peritonsillar abscess is starting to form. The general tenderness of the throat can also make it difficult to swallow. As the abscess becomes more serious, the pain worsens and the person affected starts to feel very ill with fever, lethargy and a headache. Their speech can also be affected, causing something called a ‘hot potato voice’. Presumably this is because they speak as if they have a scalding hot potato in their mouth.
The inflammation and infection at the back of the throat affects the neck and severe neck pain can also develop. The lymph nodes under the jaw line and at the back of the head frequently become enlarged and can be easily felt. The jaw can become so sore that opening the mouth becomes impossible.
How Rare is Quinsy?
Quinsy is quite rare in the UK today. It occurs more commonly where people have much less access to antibiotics, leaving them vulnerable to the spread of infection after tonsillitis. With antibiotic resistance growing, it is more likely to be seen in the future, even where antibiotics are available. If someone being treated for a sore throat only completes part of a course of antibiotics, this can make resistance more likely. The general advice today is that GPs should not give antibiotics for sore throats that are caused by viruses but many still do, following pressure from the patient themselves or from anxious parents.
If quinsy affects anyone in the UK it tends to be children and teenagers. This age group are exposed to many cold viruses, which can allow secondary bacterial infections in the tonsils. A teenager who is prone to acute tonsillitis needs to be watched carefully for signs of developing severe pain at the back of the throat.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Can Quinsy be Treated?
Antibiotics are indicated in cases of severe tonsillitis and this usually prevents quinsy from arising in the first place. If the tonsillitis still persists, it may be that the infection is caused, at least partly, by an antibiotic resistant strain of bacteria. It is sensible for the doctor looking after someone with a severe tonsil infection to try to take samples from the throat so that the causative bacteria can be identified and typed to check this out. Then, a different antibiotic can then be used to tackle the infection.
In very severe cases, the infection can spread further into the neck and can cause breathing difficulties. Further spread into the blood, with general blood poisoning is then possible. Quinsy is not a fast moving infection though. Usually it can be brought under control before it becomes a serious risk and a complete recovery within a few weeks is usual.
Last month, i started feeling my throat feel quite tight and a little weird. Because of quinsy, any sore throat pain and I freak out. Unfortunately my nightmare came true and I got tonsillitis. i didn't waste time and saw a GP in Leeds at a horrible place called Shakespeare Medical Practice. Doctors and nurses were rude and wanted me out of there as soon as possible. Was given penicillin V for 10 days. It didn't do the trick. Within days, pus started forming again and kept feeling pain. Went to my GP three times! Before finally being given another course of penicillin for 10 days. That didn't do the trick either. This time I think the bacteria may have formed some resistance as quinsy now started to develop. You don't forget quinsy and its symptoms, they haunt you for life. I immediately knew the abscess was forming as I was getting pain on my left side (same side as last time) of my throat and ear and got progressively worse with a bump forming by the third day without antibiotics.
I must have gone to a total of seven GPS and called 111 a thousand times. No GP took the bloody time to perfectly analyze me and kept telling me there was nothing and completely ignored my pain despite the bump being red and clearly around the tonsil. No pain killers or anti-inflammatory meds were given. Went to A&E and saw a really young doctor who told me he was new (bad sign) he too told me he couldn't see anything despite having told him I was now increasing with pain. Told me the same thing to take Ibuprofen and paracetamol and once again, for the third time, was given penicillin V. That night I had the worst pain in my mouth and throat since quinsy and I knew something wasn't right and the damn meds wouldn't help.
Called 111 and was once again seen by an incompetent, rude, and cocky doctor at Lexicon house in Leeds. Decided to wait until monday to demand from my GP that Id be seen by an ENT. I was immediately sent to hospital, by then the meds had significantly shrunken my bump and the ENT couldn't really see much, but suspected it was an infection of the surrounding tissues. At least they went through the trouble of actually checking me out properly and gave me steroids for the swelling and finally, a different and much stronger antibiotic!! Not only that I was given an anti-inflammatory mouth wash and stronger painkillers. The bump is still there, but in less than 24 hrs it shrunk from what it was yesterday and now it no longer hurts to open my mouth nor do i feel pai
Well yesterday I woke up with tonsillitis for the first time in 11 years and am crapping myself in case I get it again..
When I eventually saw a gp she said it was pre-Quincy.
I'm still on penicillin which finish on Sunday.
Do not feel right -though much better than Monday.
With ur info above - & others I'm now informed and prepared should this not b cleared up.
Thank you.
Kind regards Terri
I had just finished a long haul flight on which I became very dehydrated whilst sleeping with no saliva left in my mouth and throat. I drank plenty water and thought I had just inflamed my throat as it still ached. After 4 days of self treatment with paracetamol,ibuprofen anything I could get over the counter I had to give in to all of the pain symptoms and get an emergency appointment at the Infirmary on a Sunday night.
Boy, am I glad I did. I had to wait 1-1/2 hours after my appointment time to be seen. The first doctor suspected Quinsy as it was only my left side that was hurting like hell and I now had got to the potato mouth stage.After a quick second opinion I was whisked off to ENT for another assessment then told I would be staying the night and the IV treatment would start and in the morning there would be another assessment. I was hooked up at midnight and by 01:30 the pain had eased. I could breathe and swallow again.By 02:30 I was back to feeling human and wandered why I didn't do this sooner rather than go through the last days of real pain.
I have had sore throats many a time but nothing like this. I had my TONSILS removed when I was 3 years old. This added to the puzzlement. Anyway, no pus draining required,Staying in hospital for 36 hours leaving tomorrow feeling a new man again.
It took me 3 days to get out of bed and literally crawl to a doctors. Luckily no receptionist . The doctor when he entered the waiting room ignored the two elderly patients who were asking if they could go in front of me so they could catch the bus. He new exactly what I had and grabbed me dragged me to his bench put 4 syringes in my neck massages my joints and stretched limbs out as I was contorted. I didn't need to speak! Luckily as I couldn't .
The abscess must have burst, but there had been a constant supply of puss beyond that which the abscess could contain. It all happened over 3 days! The puss continued for a couple more days then stopped.
In France it is just called angine which literally means saw throat it wasn't until I mentioned it to my UK GP that I got it's name. This is because it's a condition that hasn't been allocated an international Latin name. Many people used to die from this, so doctors do need more training. You sometimes do need to act very fast. If I hadn't forced myself to crawl to that doctor I may have aspired the bacterial infection into my lungs which would have caused me a fatal or more dangerous condition.
I've read the NHS data on Quincy and it claims it's a slow process, which would suggest to a patient that it is not urgent. Well my experience was not slow . If the abscess hadn't bursts I would have stopped breathing the burst put me at other risks. It took a lot to get to that doctor.
It must have looked scary to passers by a woman crawling with a contorted body moaning and a fountain of puss coming out of her mouth!
I had never had any tonsillitis as a child no history of anything like this.
The joint and muscle pain was worse than the throat pain. I was very week for a few weeks afterwards.
My UK GP said that it is very rare, a relative later informed me that my mother had it back in the 50's so perhaps there is susceptibility to certain strains of bacteria. The locals of Macon where I was at the time claimed that it was an area prone to it due to its famous river?!
( not the Beaujolais!)
Anyway- I think that anyone with symptoms of Quincy should push to get immediate treatment . Corner the doctor with its risk of aspiration and lung damage see if he wants to be sued for that !
Don't go bursting it yourself and try not to be left alone because it can grow quickly and block your airways this is how many died in the past.
Hope this has been helpful and insightful
Regards
Kate
From old Blighty
I'm guessing this is an American sight
Where you don't yet have an NHS
Well beware of a large inward looking institution that functions mainly for its union employees! Most top dog research is American but does any health practitioner in NHS bother to research/ read it?! NO, why because they are no
Nausea. I went to the doctors and he diagnosed me with viral tonsillitis. Since reading this article I'm worried I may actually have Quincy? The pain has just woken me up in the middle of the night, which has led me to this article.. Do I go back to the doctors? Or would he be able to recognise Quincy immediately? He said himself, there was only really swelling on my left side
I some times spit the pus out and it's very stinky I'm so sick of it, I feel embarrassed having bad breath. Any information on it would help heaps
Doctor then had to insert needle into mouth and draw out poison from around infected tonsil , this made me feel better straight away
Quinsy is an extremely painful and draining illness to get
Not yet stopping or slowing the infection, I see Christmas in hospital on the cards
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