Tonsillitis is a condition where the tonsils of a person become inflamed and this may be due to viral or bacterial infection. Tonsils are a group of organs situated in the vicinity of the throat. There are palatine tonsils, lingual tonsils, and adenoids (nasopharyngeal tonsils), to name a few. The palatine tonsils of which are casually referred to as, “tonsils” are a pair of oval shaped organs located at the back and sides of the throat. They play an important role as a first-line of defense from getting harmful bacteria and viruses, collectively known as pathogens, into our body.
Tonsillitis is a disease that has traversed through time and is present in almost all countries and cultures. People have been treating it with a varying degree of effectiveness, with many locally sourced ingredients and methods. As our knowledge of medicine has evolved, we are now able to deliver specific medication to directly kill the offending bacteria and restore the patient’s wellbeing. Today, we shall look into swollen tonsils treatment, and what you can do to help speed up your recovery.
Before we dive into the treatment of swollen tonsils, we need to first establish our diagnosis. We have to be able to pick up our condition as being tonsillitis and not some other diseases. This can be achieved by recognising its signs and symptoms. Tonsillitis will most of the time present with pain in the throat, pain during swallowing, high grade fever, chills and shivering episodes, bad breath, and sometimes neck pain and ear pain. You may want to see your doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms. On careful observation, your doctor may find red swollen tonsils at the back of your throat, with or without pus oozing from the surfaces of the tonsils.
A bacterial tonsillitis should be treated with antibiotics to completely wipe out the colonies of bacteria causing the problem and preventing dreadful complications occurring. A viral tonsillitis is self-limiting and does not need antibiotics to kill the viruses. Once the basic treatment has been administered, we can incorporate some home remedies as adjuncts to our overall management. The general principles in treating tonsillitis are ensuring adequate hydration of the patient, administering sufficient caloric intake and effective pain and fever control.
With these in mind, home remedies should focus on meeting these requirements:
Warm soups
Chicken broth, chicken soup, mushroom soup, congee are all ideal foods for you to take during your unwell days. The warm fluid will soothe your aching throat and you are gulping down mouthfuls of soup packed with nutrients and calories, perfect to fuel you up and boost your immune system to fight off the disease.
Cold snacks
Think hot and cold. Both can help you during your swollen tonsils episodes. Ice creams, popsicles, ice cubes, are great to have during these days. The cold helps with soothing the throat,limits inflammation, numbs the pain, and you are essentially introducing water and dense calories into your system, which is exactly what we’re aiming for. Remember, hydration is key in combating swollen tonsils. One can easily fall into dehydration due to swollen tonsils.
Avoid hard foods
Choose soft foods for the moment, until your throat is better, you wouldn’t want those chips, hard nuts, and other hard foodstuffs to injure your swollen tonsils, and opening up routes for more bacteria to enter.
Plenty of rest
A good rest does wonders in a good speedy recovery. Your immune system works better at fighting off offending agents when you’re adequately rested as compared to when you’re stressed, sleep-deprived, and exhausted.
Lozenges and pain control
You can buy those lozenges at your local pharmacy or some throat sprays that aim to reduce the pain. This may help you cope with the symptoms better while your body heals the swollen tonsils, and also, improve your ability to swallow foods and water without significant pain.
Swollen tonsils should resolve within a week to about 10 days. If your symptoms persist or if you’re experiencing worsening of symptoms, you should definitely seek help from your doctor and make sure you are correctly diagnosed and are receiving correct treatment.
