Can you die from tonsillitis and how fast does it take tonsils to sweet to the point when they would block your airway?

Rarely: Only if tonsillitis leads to a peritonsillar abscess which then could rarely progress into the carotid sheath and infect the carotid artery or the jugular vein. Another scenario would be the development of a retro-pharyngeal abscess that could progress into the mediastinum and cause a fatal pneumonia. These complications of tonsillitis are rare but possible.