White spots on Tonsils, Is it due to strep infection?

Dear Ask The Doctor: My mom is having trouble breathing at night, she can't sleep and she keeps complaining about her throat and when you look at her tonsils they have white stuff like looks like baby spit up on them. She told me that she has been having cold chills and sometimes she feels like she burning up, she also has a running noise. My question is what is the white stuff and why do you this stuff is going on with her?

Dear Ashley: The symptoms that your mom is experiencing is due to tonsillitis. Since she is having sore throat, fever, cold chills and a whitish exudate on the tonsils, it is important for her to see an ENT specialist to rule out Group A Streptococcal infection. The white stuff that you see on the tonsils is due to exudates caused by a strep infection. It would be worthwhile to have a doctor take a throat culture at a time when the white spots are very prominent. Appropriate antibiotic treatment may be necessary in the presence of infection.