Tonsillitis vs Strep Throat?

Question

Health question:
Before going to the doctor, is there a way to guess that something is strep throat vs tonsillitis (or vise versa)?
Please don't post any pics- weak stomach here haha.
How would you know the difference?

Answer

Tonsillitis is just the inflammation of the tonsils. It can be caused by a virus (common cold) or a bacterial infection (strep). If you see white colonies of bacteria on your tonsils, you most likely have strep. 
Either way, just go to the doctor. If strep gets left untreated, there can be severe consequences. It can wind up going into your bloodstream. Happened to me when I was sick with mono back in high school. The strep went overlooked because I already had mono and it turned into beta hemolytic strep. That was no picnic (and all because my lovely ex-best friend had mono, got mad at me, drank out of my drink, and purposely gave it to me 😡).

Answer

The only way you can tell is to have a strep test preformed.