Tonsilitis can be frustratingly painful. Sometimes, a bacterial infection in the tonsil glands can cause pain and swell on the side of the lower jaw.
Generally, antibiotics are prescribed when tonsillitis is due to a bacterial infection (since they can alleviate symptoms and prevent complications), but antiviral medications treat viral tonsillitis.
It can be managed either with medicines or by tonsillitis natural treatment like drinking fluids, including warm water and milk.
What Is Tonsillitis?
Tonsillitis is an inflammation (swelling) or infection of the tonsils. Tonsils are a pair of soft tissues located at the back of the throat (pharynx). There are two tonsils in the throat, one on each side.
Tonsils provide the first line of defence against viruses and bacteria that you inhale and swallow. Tonsils range widely in size and can swell due to infection.
A virus or bacteria is generally responsible for tonsillitis. The most common viruses to cause tonsillitis are the ones that also cause common colds, such as rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses, and adenoviruses. These viruses generally have low strength and are unlikely to cause complications.
Studies show that the inflammation of the tonsils is a common problem and accounts for about 1.3% of outpatient visits. Tonsillitis may cause a sore throat when uncomplicated.
Generally, tonsillitis is a self-limiting disease in most patients. Due to the high frequency of viral causes, supportive care is the main line of treatment.
As a common means of treating tonsillitis, antibiotics like Penicillin with other medicines like acetaminophen, Tylenol, ibuprofen, or Advil are given to the patient with some home remedies for tonsillitis.
Further, doctors recommend tonsil removal surgery only when tonsillitis is frequent and the condition does not respond to other treatment options or causes serious complications.
There are four types of tonsillitis, categorised as follows:
1. Acute Tonsillitis
Acute tonsillitis is a condition of tonsil inflammation characterised by a sudden or gradual onset of symptoms, including a sore throat and fever. Acute infections of the tonsils mainly affect school-aged children, although some adults may also get affected.
Acute tonsillitis can also cause the following symptoms:
- Having trouble swallowing saliva
- Drooling
- Pain in the ears when swallowing
- Bad breath
- Tonsil surfaces may be bright red or be covered with an exudate (grayish-white).
- There may also be swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
- Fever
2. Chronic and Recurrent Tonsillitis
Chronic tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils that continues to recur. Repeated infections may cause small pockets of bacteria to form within the tonsils. These tiny sacs often contain foul-smelling stones, which can cause bad breath.
Tonsillitis Chronica is characterised by:
- An ongoing sore throat
- Enlarging tonsils
- Constant bad breath
- Enlarging lymph nodes
3. Peritonsillar Abscess (PTA)
Peritonsillar Abscess is a bacterial infection when acute tonsillitis remains untreated. As the name suggests, a peritonsillar abscess is when pus forms behind the tonsils.
Unlike tonsillitis, which tends to be more frequent in children, peritonsillar abscesses tend to affect adults more.
Peritonsillar Abscess can also cause the following symptoms:
- Pain in the throat
- Fever
- Drooling
- Mouth odour
- Trismus (difficulty opening the mouth)
- Change in voice quality (hot potato voice)
Most cases are self-limited infections in healthy individuals who benefit from symptomatic treatment and have minimal long-term consequences. Complications are rare if symptoms are adequately managed, but proper and timely attention is essential.
Symptoms of Tonsillitis
The most common tonsillitis symptom is a sore throat (pharyngitis).
Some other signs and symptoms of tonsillitis are:
- Red or swollen tonsils area in the neck
- Sore throat
- Difficulties or painful swallowing food
- White or yellow layer or patches on the tonsils
- Fever
- Scratchy, muffled, or throaty voice
- Breath odour or bad breath
- Enlarged lymph nodes (tender glands)
- Stomach ache
- Neck pain or stiff neck
- Headaches
Is Tonsillitis Contagious?
Although tonsillitis is contagious, meaning that it can be spread to others, you can stop these infections from spreading by staying off work. When you cough or sneeze, use tissues and throw them away hygienically to keep the infection from spreading.
It depends on what causes your tonsillitis how long you'll be contagious. Generally, you are contagious a couple of days before developing symptoms and may remain contagious until your symptoms have gone away.
Tonsillitis symptoms usually resolve after 3 to 4 days. Infections such as colds and flu, which cause tonsillitis, are most of the time contagious.
Tonsillitis symptoms usually resolve after 3 to 4 days. Infections such as colds and flu, which cause tonsillitis, are most of the time contagious.
Home Remedies for Tonsillitis
Following are some tonsillitis treatments at home for people suffering from tonsillitis, as we don't want them to suffer.
1. Drinking Warm Liquids
Warm beverages also keep you hydrated, essential when you are sick. A soothing warm soup, broth, or tea helps alleviate swelling and irritation caused by tonsillitis infection at home as tonsils instant relief.
Herbal teas contain ingredients like honey and glycerine that initiate a protective film over the mucous membranes in the throat and mouth, reducing stuffiness and improving drainage, which reduces pain as a home remedy for tonsils pain.
It is soothing to drink warm liquids like caffeine-free tea or warm water with lemon. Warm soup broth can also be delicate if one has a sore throat. Chamomile tea can support you in falling asleep and relaxing. You can take warm liquids (herbal tea or warm water with honey or soups) several times a day as needed for instant relief.
2. Honey
The doctor recommends honey as a remedy for sore throat because honey has a long history of effectiveness. Research indicates that honey's antimicrobial properties may contribute to its sore throat healing properties. A cough or sore throat can benefit from the soothing properties of honey.
Honey may offer pain relief and reduce inflammation. A mixture of 2 tablespoons of honey within one warm glass of water or in tea can give you relief. You may drink several times a day as you need.
3. Eating Cold Foods
During tonsillitis, you may often be encouraged to eat ice cream because cold foods numb the throat, which helps reduce the pain as a home remedy for tonsil pain. Ice cream, frozen yoghurt, and smoothies are excellent choices Ice chips. Popsicles can be very helpful to the person who cannot use other home remedies for tonsils safely.
Choosing Ice chips can be excellent at treating tonsillitis as tonsillitis cures at home, reducing pain, inflammation, and swelling. You have to let the ice chips melt in your mouth for instant pain reduction.
The cold acts as a general numbing agent to reduce the discomfort from tonsillitis. A person with tonsillitis may use 2-3 times of eating cold things in a day for instant and better relief.
4. Avoid Hard Foods
You can worsen irritation by eating hard and sharp foods. Do not eat foods such as potato chips, crackers, cereal, toast, apples, or carrots when you have tonsillitis. People with tonsillitis may experience discomfort from hard or sharp foods.
Foods that are soft and easy to swallow may be safer to consume, such as smoothies, soups and shakes, Mashed potatoes, or a soft baked potato or cooked or soft fruits.
5. Gargling With Warm Saltwater
Rinse your throat every couple of hours with warm water with a quarter teaspoon of salt and gargle for several seconds before spitting out. The infected cells are submerged in salt water and are drawn out when you spit the salt water out.
When you spit the salt water out, the body will be cleansed of those germs. This Tonsillitis natural treatment is a way to get rid of tonsillitis without any surgical procedures.
Saltwater gargles can relieve sore throats, viral respiratory infections, sinus infections, allergies, and other mild issues. They're often used for colds, cold sores, and sore throats.
6. Using a Steamer
Steam can help soothe the discomfort by adding moisture to the air if one has a sore throat or a dry mouth due to tonsillitis. Steamers or humidifiers can provide comfort by adding humidity to the atmosphere and preventing throat irritation as a home remedy for tonsillitis pain.
7. Avoiding Straining the Voice
You may have a muffled voice with throat inflammation. Resting your voice may prevent strain and further irritation. If you overuse your voice, it is more likely to worsen. Your muffled voice may not return to normal immediately after the throat inflammation or tonsillitis, but it is unlikely to be permanently damaged.
8. Getting Rest
If you have a sore throat due to tonsillitis, you should rest. If it is due to a bacterial infection, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics. Get lots of rest to build your immune system's strength. Sleep is essential when a person is suffering from tonsillitis.
Resting is a natural tonsillitis cure at home. It will also prevent others from getting sick. Take proper rest and sleep of eight hours to recover faster from tonsillitis.
9. Sucking on Throat Lozenges
Taking a cough lozenge (a cough drop) can help lubricate the throat because the action of sucking helps produce saliva. A cough drop is typically a tiny tablet intended to dissolve slowly in the mouth to help sore tissues in the throat, possibly from a common cold or influenza.
The ingredients such as honey and lemon in these products can soothe inflammation and relieve irritation.
10. Using Throat Sprays
An over-the-counter throat spray contains anaesthetics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics to relieve pain and inflammation as a tonsil pain home treatment.
Tonsils Prevention
A healthy lifestyle is one of the great ways to prevent tonsillitis, which includes:
- Handwashing with soap and water
- Avoid sharing food, drink, or utensils, as well as personal items like toothbrushes, with anyone.
- Keeping out of the company of someone with a sore throat or tonsillitis
- To prevent a re-infection after recovering from a sore throat, you should replace your toothbrush every month.
- Smoking is also abrasive to the throat, so keep the tobacco away.
The subsequent steps should be brought to prevent these infections from spreading:
- Take care of yourself or your child and stay at home until you or they feel better.
- Throw away tissues after coughing or sneezing.
- After coughing or sneezing, clean your hands.
When To See Your Doctor
Most tonsillitis goes away with tonsillitis treatment at home within one to two days. However, you should see a doctor or physician if your fever is over 101 degrees, your tonsils or adenoids are swollen, or you are not able to swallow the liquid.
It is possible that you have a bacterial infection if you have any of the symptoms listed above.
Typically, a doctor can tell if you have tonsillitis by looking at the back of your throat and asking about your symptoms. A physician may prescribe an antibiotic if you have repeated bacterial throat infections within a short period of time.
Physicians can also run some tests if you have recurrent tonsillitis, like a cotton bud swab test to determine if bacteria are causing your tonsillitis (this is to determine if you have tonsillitis). If the symptoms do not go away or are severe, it may require a blood test for fever.
Summing Up on Home Remedies for Tonsils
In years past, tonsillectomy was the treatment of choice for tonsillitis. However, tonsillectomy has become less popular today because it is viewed as an unnecessary procedure in otherwise healthy patients.
Above mentioned home remedies for tonsillitis pain should help you get better and instant clear up from tonsillitis in just a few days. If you may suffer from symptoms of tonsillitis for a couple of days, you can take advice from your ENT specialist or physician.
References
- Danila Cianciosi, Tamara Yuliett Forbes-Hernández, September 2018; Phenolic Compounds in Honey and Their Associated Health Benefits: A Review - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6225430/
- Christos C. Georgalas, July 2014; Tonsillitis - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC4106232/
