Tonsillitis- Definition and Treatments

Tonsillitis is defined as an infection of the tonsils. It is classified into three: acute, subacute and chronic.

• Acute- caused either by a bacterium (Group A streptococcal bacteria) or virus (such as Epstein-Barr or Adenovirus)
  
  

• Subacute- caused by bacterium Actinomyces
  
  

• Chronic- usually is caused by bacterial infection and lasts for long periods if not treated at once
  
  

Symptoms:

• severe sore throat

• painful and difficult swallowing of food or saliva

• headache

• fever

• change in voice
  
  

Characterized by:

• redness of the tonsils

• swollen tonsils which are usually associated with white patches on the tonsils (infection) referred to as pus
  
  

Treatments:

• First stages of tonsillitis are approached with medications and lozenges which can lessen the pain. However, if the infection is caused by bacteria, it is then when antibiotics are prescribed. Penicillin is the most common antibiotic used but to patients allergic to penicillin, erythromycin is prescribed.
  
  

• Medications such as ibuprofen, other anti-inflammatory and analgesics may help in decreasing the inflammation of the tonsils therefore easing the pain. This also helps the patients to swallow liquids.
  
  

• There are instances when patients are prescribed with topical anesthetics such as viscuous lidocaine for temporary relief against pain.
  
  

• The patient's recovery period from tonsillitis which is caused by a virus may depend on which type of the virus involved. It is common that the recovery period may take a week. However, there are also some types of infections which take two weeks or more to get cured.
  
  

• It is mostly advised that patients having tonsillitis gargle with a solution of warm water mixed with lemon or lime juice, honey and salt. This concoction may reduce pain and the degree of swelling.
  
  Home remedies/treatments for tonsillitis:
  
  A.)Lime/Calamansi-Honey-Salt Mixture
  
  10 pieces of calamansi or 1 piece lime
  2 tablespoons honey
  1 teaspoon salt
  
  Squeeze the calamansi or lime into a glass containing WARM water. Add honey and salt. Stir. Take at least twice a day. Usually, you will feel the soothing effect at once.
  
  B.)Tea-Honey Mixture
  
  Add 2 tablespoons of honey into your cup of hot tea. Stir and drink. Just like the mixture above, you will feel the difference at once.
  
  

• Tonsillectomy is the surgical removal of the tonsils. This is another choice of treatment to patients suffering from chronic cases of tonsillitis.