What to do for breathing difficulty due to swollen throat?

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According to the symptoms you have mentioned in the query, you are having a severe acute exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis. 1) Pain in throat, difficulty in breathing and swallowing point towards an acute follicular tonsillitis. 2) Enlarged lymph nodes indicate this is not the first episode, but you might be facing this problem at regular intervals. This means this is a chronic condition. 3) Ear pain is a referred pain in your case. This means there is no local ear pathology or ear problem. The glossopharyngeal nerve (9th nerve) gives out branches to both ear and throat, so sometimes a pathology of the throat can lead to earache. My advice will be to visit an otolaryngologist in your town and have your throat examined. 1. Start on antibiotics, Amoxycillin plus Clavulanic acid combination tablet (625 mg) or you can try Cefuroxime plus Clavulanic acid (500 mg) to be taken twice daily for five days. 2. Analgesics are important to relieve pain and swelling. Diclofenac or Aceclofenac tablets with Paracetamol twice daily after meals is a good option. 3. An antacid should be taken along with analgesics since Analgesics can lead to gastric irritation. 4. Warm saline gargles with Betadine three to four times a day provide a soothing effect. If you are suffering from such episodes more than three to four times per year, it is advisable to get your tonsils removed by surgery, ie tonsillectomy done. If the disease is not responding to the above treatment, I will advise you to get an investigation called throat swab done by your doctor.