Tonsillectomy, Post-Op Bleeding

Home care

• Your throat will be sore. Throat pain after surgery improves over the first 7 to 10 days. It's normal to have more pain at the end of the first week before it finally goes away.

• Soft foods will be easier to swallow.

• Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Fluids also help ease pain by keeping the area moist. You must continue to drink even though your throat hurts.

• For pain relief, suck on ice cubes or frozen fruit pops, eat ice cream or sherbet, and drink cold liquids.

• You may also use liquid acetaminophen. Don't take ibuprofen or aspirin. These may increase bleeding risk. Talk with your healthcare provider before taking acetaminophen if you have a history of chronic kidney or liver disease. If your healthcare provider has prescribed pain medicine, take it as directed. 

• If you have sleep apnea, talk with your healthcare provider before taking any opioid medicines or medicine with codeine.

• If antibiotics were prescribed, take these as directed until they are gone.

• Don't overheat your home because it dries the air and may irritate throat tissues, especially at night. A cool-mist humidifier in the bedroom may help.

• Don’t have contact with people with colds or the flu during the recovery period. You may be more likely to get ill during this time.

• Smoking irritates the surgery site. If you smoke, this is a good time to stop. Talk with your healthcare provider about help with quitting.

• Don't do heavy exercise, lifting, or straining for 2 weeks, or as directed by your healthcare provider.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your healthcare provider as advised.

When to seek medical advice

Call your healthcare provider right away if any of the following occur:

• Nausea and vomiting

• Persistent coughing

• Minimal bleeding from the mouth

• Fever of 100.4°F (38.3ºC) or higher, or as directed by your healthcare provider

• Increasing pain not controlled by pain medicines

• Signs of dehydration: very dark urine, less urine, dry mouth

Call 911

Call 911 if you have any of these symptoms:

• Trouble speaking, swallowing, or breathing

• Significant bleeding from the mouth

• Lightheadedness, weakness