Tonsillitis appears most often in children. Males and
females appear to be infected equally.
Viral infections are more common than bacterial infections in all
seasons. Bacterial infections generally are more common during winter than in
spring, summer, or fall.
Although there is no proof that exposure to cigarette smoke can cause
tonsillitis, children of parents who smoke cigarettes have an increased rate of
tonsillectomy (surgical removal of tonsils).1
Tonsillitis can affect adults who have not had their tonsils removed.
Tonsillectomy involves greater risks of excessive bleeding and pain for adults
than for children.