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Some links in this article are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we find useful to our readersThe problem of swollen tonsils, as well as tonsillitis, is considered as one of the increasing health problems all around the globe due to various reasons. Tonsils are organs which are placed at the back of your throat. The most usual reason of swelling of the tonsils is the infection, which is followed by various symptoms of tonsillitis.
Here, we have tried to provide some important information about the problem of tonsillitis along with its various causes as well as symptoms. Read on to get more details about various important natural remedies, which you can consider to get rid of swollen tonsils.
What is Tonsillitis?
As mentioned earlier, tonsils are the two lymph nodes, which are located on both the sides at the back of your throat. Performing as a defensive wall, these tonsils are important to prevent any harmful infection which can cause problems in the body. The infection of tonsils is known as tonsillitis.
While tonsils can be caused to a person of any age range, it is more common in childhood. The most common symptoms of tonsillitis include swelling of tonsils, fever and sore throat.
It is highly easy to diagnose the symptoms of tonsils. Most of the times, the condition of tonsillitis cured by itself in 7-10 days. However, it is important to take help of your doctor immediately after noticing the symptoms.
Traditionally, there are two types of tonsillitis. Recurrentincludeitis and Chronic Tonsillitis. In recurrent tonsillitis you may face large number of acute tonsillitis episodes every year while in chronic tonsillitis, the episodes of tonsillitis may last longer than acute tonsillitis.
What are the Symptoms of Tonsillitis?
There are large number of symptoms which can occur due to tonsillitis. Some of the major symptoms of tonsillitis, however, are listed below.
- Chills
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Pain or difficulty in swallowing
- Bad breath
- Stiff neck
- Headache
- Scratchy voice
- Red and swollen tonsils
- Appearance of white and yellow spots on tonsils
- Swollen lymph nodes
In young children, along with the symptoms listed above, you can also notice, poor appetite, raised irritability as well as increased drooling.
Symptoms of chronic tonsillitis includes,
- Bad breath
- Tender lymph nodes in the neck area
- Chronic sore throat
What are the causes of tonsillitis?
It is important to know that tonsils plays the role of first line of defence against various diseases in your body. The major role of tonsils is to produce white blood cells, which are helpful in countering infection. While tonsils can counter the viral as well as bacterial infection, they itself can get infected due to these outside infection.
Swelling is the first sign of tonsillitis. This swelling can be caused due to various reasons.
- Tonsillitis can be caused due to various viral infection such as common cold along with bacterial infection such as strep throat infection. The main reason behind this is the entering of bacteria as well as virus through your mouth.
- Virus, known as Epstein-Barr can cause the problem of tonsillitis, which may end up causing mononucleosis.
- Another most common cause of tonsillitis is direct contact. Infected children may come in close contact with others during playing, which exposes themselves to large number of bacteria as well as viruses.
Natural Remedies for Tonsillitis
Even though tonsillitis can be solved due to various treatment, you can use various natural remedies to solve this problem. Find out some of the amazing natural remedies which we have listed here. These remedies will help you in treating the problem of tonsillitis in no time.
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
Experts suggest that one should regularly drink apple cider vinegar considering its various healthy properties. Gargling with apple cider vinegar after diluting with warm water for several times a day helps in reducing pain as well as swelling and helps in clearing the infection.
2. Saltwater Gargle
Gargling regularly with the help of saltwater provides quality soothing to your throat. Saltwater is an amazing natural remedy which is used since ancient time to get relief from swelling and pain of tonsillitis. Apart from that, it is also helpful in cleaning the mouth and preventing any infection.
3. Chamomile Tea
Herbal tea is one of the best natural remedy which you can try to get rid of pain as well as swelling of the tonsillitis. You can consume chamomile tea along with some honey as honey is also filled with important antiseptic properties, which are helpful in clearing the infection and soothing your throat.
4. Onion
Onion juice is also highly important in treating the condition of tonsillitis. Extract some juice of onion and mix it in a glass of lukewarm water. Gargle with this water for 3-5 times everyday to get rid of discomfort. However, you may also get bad breath due to onion juice.
5. Fenugreek Seeds
Fenugreek seeds can also be an amazing remedy for tonsillitis. Just boil some fenugreek seed in some water and let it simmer for around 30 minutes. Fenugreek seeds contains important antibacterial properties which helps in removing bacteria from the infected tonsils.
6. Lime Juice
Lemon is one of the effective and ancient remedy for tonsillitis. Make a concoction by squeezing some lemon and getting lime juice and add some honey and salt to it. Slip this mixture several times a day to get rid of discomfort as well as pain. This concoction is also filled with vitamin C, which helps in increasing immunity.
7. Fresh figs
Making a paste of boiled figs and applying it directly on the infected tonsils helps in reducing pain as well as soreness and redness. You can use figs as one of the amazing home remedy.
When to See Doctor?
While tonsillitis is get resolved by itself in a period of few days, sometimes tonsillitis can cause large swelling of throat, which can cause difficulty in breathing. This problem requires immediate medical attention. The symptoms which you should be careful of and consult with your doctor immediately are as follows.
- Neck stiffness
- High fever
- Weakness in muscles
- Sore throat for more than 2 days
Your doctor can provide you treatment according to the symptoms, which you are experiencing after proper examination.
Complications and prevention of swollen tonsils
Various complications of the problem of swollen tonsils are as follows
- People suffering with tonsillitis may also cause obstructive sleep apnea, the condition when the airway swells causes problems in sleeping. In this case, it is also possible that the infection can spread to the other parts of the body.
- In tonsillitis, person may also experience the development of pus behind the tonsils, the condition is known as peritonsillar abscess. This can only be treated with drainage and surgery.
- In this condition, if the consumption of antibiotics is not able to eliminate the bacteria, the chances of developing certain complications are increased. This may lead to rheumatic fever and other conditions.
The preventive tips for the problem tonsillitis are as follows.
For tonsillitis prevention, you should always know that the condition of swollen tonsils is highly contagious. Following certain tips, which are listed below, can be helpful.
- Stay away from people suffering with tonsillitis
- Try to keep yourself away from people, if you are suffering from swollen tonsils.
- Also, stay away from people who are sneezing, coughing and having sore throat
- Wash your hands more often.