Chronic tonsillitis is a long-term inflammatory process in the tonsils, which, in the absence of quality treatment, gives the patient a lot of unpleasant symptoms and can provoke serious complications in the heart, kidneys and joints. It is a mistake to think that only surgery will help cope with inflammation of the tonsils. Before deciding on surgical intervention, it is necessary to carry out comprehensive treatment of the tonsils without surgery. How to cure tonsils without surgery? Read in the new article.
Chronic tonsillitis is a chronic inflammatory process localized in the palatine tonsils. No one is immune from tonsil disease: neither an adult nor a child. With chronic inflammation, the disease occurs with periodic recurrences of symptoms: the tonsils increase in size, purulent plugs appear in them, and bad breath is felt. Then comes the resting stage, when the symptoms subside and the tonsils shrink in adults and children. This period is called remission.
Many patients, tired of a series of endless exacerbations, believe that only surgery will help get rid of the problem once and for all: removing the tonsils once is better than trying to treat them unsuccessfully. This opinion can be heard especially often from parents of frequently ill children who are tired of treating tonsils in children while constantly being on sick leave. And for them, surgery seems to be the only way out.
Others, on the contrary, are afraid of surgical intervention and believe that reducing tonsils without surgery in adults or children is a completely doable task.
How to reduce tonsils in a child without surgery? And is it possible to cure tonsils in adults without resorting to surgery? You will find the answers in our new article.
The meaning of the palatine tonsils
Before you think about performing an operation on an adult or child, you need to understand that nature does not create anything for nothing. And our tonsils are no exception. The tonsils are by no means a useless organ, the removal of which will pass without leaving a trace.
The palatine tonsils, despite their small size, are a powerful barrier that protects our body from viruses and bacteria. They consist of lymphoid tissue. When an infection gets on the surface of the tonsils, they begin to intensively produce leukocytes that kill pathogenic organisms. Then the defeated infection, along with the dead leukocytes, is excreted. This is how a healthy amygdala works.
External causes and weakened immunity reduce the protective properties of the tonsils. The tonsils of an adult or child stop coping; pathogenic microflora settles in their lacunae, maintaining constant inflammation in them. This is how chronic tonsillitis develops.
Pus plugs that appear on the surface of the tonsils are nothing more than a compressed infection.
This condition must be treated without fail. And surgery is only the most extreme option.
How to deal with chronic tonsillitis?
How to deal with chronic tonsillitis?
An otolaryngologist of the highest category, director of the onColor medical cryology center, Doctor of Medical Sciences Vladimir Ivanovich KOCHENOV will help you understand this issue.
— Vladimir Ivanovich, if a person often has a sore throat, is this a sign of chronic tonsillitis?
— Chronic tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils, exacerbations of which manifest themselves in the form of sore throats, always with high fever.
People often call any unpleasant sensation in the throat a sore throat, but this is not true. If the temperature is low and the pain is not severe, a person may not take sick leave and suffer from the disease on his feet. Most often, this signal is an exacerbation of pharyngitis.
— Why do the palatine tonsils become inflamed?
— The palatine tonsils are the largest accumulation of lymphoid tissue in the body, which plays an immunological role. Here, new microorganisms, viruses and other foreign agents are “studied”, ways to combat them are found, then this information is “stored” in the palatine tonsils throughout life. Thus, the tonsils are always at the forefront of the fight against infection, which is why they themselves often get sick, especially in young people.
— Can the problem of tonsillitis be solved by removing the tonsils?
— The number of tonsillectomies has decreased sharply compared to even the 70s. After all, the recommendation to remove the tonsils is quite akin to the advice to cut off a finger if you get a splinter.
When comparing groups of young people with and without tonsils removed in childhood, it turned out that those who underwent this intervention were shorter, more susceptible to colds, and less developed physically and even mentally. And adults without tonsils, the organ of immunity, always suffer from the inevitable pharyngitis and more often have cancer.
- How then to treat a sore throat?
- Today, any inflammation in the tonsils can be eliminated using new gentle treatment methods. Among them are cryotherapy, ultrasonic sterilizing cavitation, laser therapy, supplemented by traditional lavage of lacunae.
— Should I use antibiotics?
— Antibiotics cannot eliminate inflammation in the tonsils; this is a path to the development of fungal infection of the pharynx.
Daily and regular rinsing of the throat with decoctions of medicinal herbs, sometimes with the addition of hydrogen peroxide or antiseptics, is necessary.
Dietary supplements normalize the protective functions of the lymphoid tissue of the tonsils; they begin to protect themselves and the entire body from inflammation.
— What is the prevention of tonsillitis?
— Regular (every 3-5 years) preventive use of cryotherapy, a non-surgical treatment with ultra-low temperatures, a kind of local hardening of the throat, allows maintaining the body’s performance at the proper level throughout life.
Love, take care of your tonsils, take care of them and be healthy.
For your information
Sore throats often occur in people with difficulty breathing through their nose. If a person breathes through the mouth, the microbes contained in the air fall directly on the tonsils, the air is not warmed, not moistened and not cleared of dust. Therefore, it is very important to learn to breathe through your nose.
And in cases where this is difficult to achieve, for example, when doing physical work or running in the cold season, you can use a simple technique. To warm the air entering your mouth, you need to press the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Cold air flowing around the tongue will have time to warm up before it hits the tonsils.
Ekaterina QUEEN.
Causes of chronic inflammation of the tonsils
Inflammation in the tonsils in an adult or child is caused by streptococcus and staphylococcus bacteria, which begin to actively multiply and take root in the lacunae of the tonsils, poisoning the body with the products of their vital activity.
The causes of infection entering the tonsils may be:
- past infectious diseases;
- chronic diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses (rhinitis, sinusitis);
- pharyngitis;
- dental diseases (caries);
- deviated nasal septum;
- nasal polyps;
- overgrown adenoid vegetations in a child;
- stress;
- allergic reactions;
- reduced immunity.
One of the most common causes of chronic inflammation is improperly treated or undertreated acute tonsillitis - a sore throat we all know.
Therefore, it is extremely important to begin treating the disease in the early stages, and treatment of tonsils in adults and children should initially be carried out by a competent otolaryngologist.
How does the disease manifest?
With prolonged chronic inflammation of the tonsils, pathological processes occur in them: the lymphoid tissue changes to connective tissue, the winding channels of the tonsils - the crypts - narrow, and the ability to self-cleanse disappears. Intoxication of the body becomes more and more pronounced.
The disease is manifested by the following symptoms:
- enlargement and redness of the tonsils, their tissues become loose;
- purulent plugs in lacunae;
- increase in body temperature to 37.5℃;
- a sore throat;
- bad breath;
- fast fatiguability;
- weakness.
We also need to understand that if the tonsils are not treated, regardless of whether the patient in front of us is an adult or a child, this is a constant source of infection that can spread throughout the body.
Medical statistics say that chronic tonsillitis is a common cause of the development of kidney, heart and joint diseases.
It is necessary to take into account the possibility of these complications and begin treating chronic tonsillitis in a timely manner.
Drug treatment of tonsils at home
To treat tonsils at home, both medications and folk remedies are used. Doctors do not recommend self-medication, since acute sore throat requires antibiotics that cannot be selected on your own. Treatment without antibiotics is not always effective and can lead to the disease becoming chronic.
You can independently use various gargling solutions and tablets for sore throat.
Otolaryngologists warn: if symptoms have not decreased 3 days after starting home treatment, you should definitely go to the clinic.
In the case of chronic tonsillitis, doctors are not so categorical. Home treatment is allowed; it is not necessary to use antibiotics, but this does not mean that one can be negligent in one’s health. Professional therapy for chronic tonsillitis is more effective, but some methods of treating tonsils at home help improve overall well-being and reduce the frequency of exacerbations.
Gargling
Before rinsing, the product must be diluted with water.
Rinsing is the basis of therapy for chronic and acute tonsillitis. For treatment, special solutions with antiseptic properties are used. Moreover, these are not always potent drugs, because soda and salt are also antiseptics. Doctors also do not prohibit the use of such simple means.
The purpose of rinsing is to wash away plaque from the tonsils. The fact is that the palatine tonsils have small depressions or depressions called lacunae. Pathogenic microbes penetrate into these cavities, resulting in plaque or even plugs in the gaps. The use of antiseptic solutions helps get rid of plaque and prevent further proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms.
The following products can be used to gargle.
- Sea salt. Rich in iodine and other trace elements, it has an antiseptic effect. To prepare the solution, dissolve 1 teaspoon of the product in warm water. It is recommended to gargle 3-4 times a day.
- Soda. It effectively copes with fungal infections of the oral mucosa and tonsils, but with a bacterial infection it is noticeably inferior to salt. If you don’t have anything at hand, soda will also benefit your health. The rinse solution is prepared from one teaspoon of the product dissolved in a glass of water.
- Iodine. Iodine solution has a powerful antiseptic effect, but it must be used carefully. To prepare the medicine, you need to add only 5 drops of iodine to a glass of water. Contraindication – intolerance to this substance and pathology of the thyroid gland.
- Furacilin. This simple antibiotic will help relieve inflammation of the tonsils at home; moreover, it is actively used for treatment in the hospital. To prepare the solution, you need to take one tablet, grind it into powder and dissolve in a glass of water.
- Chlorophyllipt. The most popular pharmaceutical drug for the treatment of sore throat. It is affordable and available without a prescription. To prepare a gargle, mix 1 part of the drug with 5 parts of water.
- Lugol's solution. Essentially, it is the same iodine, but with the addition of potassium. It is used to lubricate the tonsils, but you can also prepare a solution for rinsing - 5 drops per glass of water.
Rinsing the tonsils is a treatment that allows you to relieve inflammation at home. The listed solutions refer to first aid products that can be used to relieve acute symptoms before visiting a doctor.
Lozenges
For inflammation of the tonsils, treatment at home is supplemented with special lozenges. They necessarily contain an antiseptic and an anesthetic component.
Important! Throat lozenges do not cure tonsillitis, but they are effective in relieving acute symptoms.
You can buy tablets for sore throat at any pharmacy. The most popular drugs:
- Septefril is the cheapest antiseptic for sore throat;
- Strepsils is a well-known product with a wide variety of different flavors;
- Faringosept - lollipops with a pleasant taste and powerful antiseptic effect;
- Angi Sept - lozenges with menthol and mint oil, act very quickly.
The tablets are suitable for treating tonsils in adults at home. They are prescribed to children with caution, as they have age restrictions for use.
Lozenges should be taken 3-4 times a day, preferably after meals. Within 1-2 hours after resorption of the tablet, you should abstain from food, as the drug creates a thin antiseptic film on the tonsils.
Spray for the throat
Use no more than four times a day
Children and adults are treated with tonsils at home using a spray. The drug in this form is sprayed onto the inflamed tonsils; this treatment allows you to quickly eliminate a sore throat at home. In general, sprays have the same composition as tablets, but do not require resorption.
The most popular means:
- Givalex;
- Angilex;
- Hepilor;
- Inhalipt.
The disadvantage of sprays is that they tingle and irritate the throat when sprayed. Lozenges do not cause such discomfort.
Inhalations
Treatment of tonsillitis at home can be supplemented with inhalations. The essence of the method is inhaling warm air with essential oils, which soothes inflamed tonsils and reduces sore throat. For inhalation use:
- green tea essential oil;
- pine or cypress oil;
- drug Pinosol;
- balm Zvezdochka.
Essential oils are added to a container of hot water or to an inhaler, 2-3 drops per liter. The drugs are used according to the instructions.
The disadvantage of inhalation is the presence of contraindications. This procedure is contraindicated at high temperatures and acute infectious processes in the body. Inhalations can be done for chronic tonsillitis.
Washing lacunae
The following treatment method is practiced for chronic tonsillitis and the presence of purulent plugs in the tonsils. Rinsing is carried out using a syringe with a special curved nozzle, or an irrigator.
It is necessary to prepare a solution of furatsilin and Lugol's solution. Open your mouth wide, place the tip of the syringe opposite the recesses in the tonsils and direct a stream of antiseptic solution into the gaps. Repeat the procedure 3-4 times, then rinse your mouth with an antiseptic and lubricate your tonsils with Lugol's solution. This procedure must be carried out twice a day.
What can't you do?
Mustard plasters should not be applied to sick tonsils.
Inflammation of the tonsils should be treated at home carefully. In case of acute inflammation it is prohibited:
- do warm-ups;
- rub your throat with vodka;
- make compresses;
- use mustard plasters.
All these methods can aggravate the course of the disease and provoke the spread of infection throughout the body, which is fraught with life-threatening complications.
It is also forbidden to try to clean off plaque with your fingers or squeeze out purulent plugs in the tonsils. All this is fraught with the development of extensive inflammation due to injury to the tonsil tissue.
Surgery to remove tonsils
The importance of the tonsils cannot be underestimated. We found this out at the very beginning of the article. The main goal of any therapy is to try to reduce the tonsils without surgery and preserve them as an organ of the immune system. Many adult patients mistakenly believe that they will have less pain after surgery. It is a myth! Yes, the tonsils will stop bothering you. But now the infection from the outside will enter the pharynx and further into the respiratory tract without encountering any obstacle, which will not have the best effect on the incidence of respiratory tract diseases.
The operation to remove the tonsils is called tonsillectomy.
Certain indications are required for the operation. The patient's fatigue due to frequent exacerbations and unpleasant symptoms is not such an indication.
Surgical intervention is prescribed in the following cases:
- recurrence of sore throats more than four times throughout the year;
- a peritonsillar abscess that has occurred;
- poor performance of rheumatic tests;
- complications on other organs and systems of the patient.
Before deciding to undergo surgery, it is necessary to try to treat a child or adult patient conservatively, that is, to reduce the tonsils without surgery.
Possible complications
Home treatment for tonsillitis is dangerous due to complications. If treated incorrectly, acute tonsillitis turns into chronic tonsillitis. There is also a risk of developing a peritonsillar abscess. This condition is very dangerous, since a large cavity filled with pus forms in the throat near the tonsils. If an abscess ruptures on its own, the purulent masses can infect the entire body. There is a high risk of infection of the blood, bronchi and lungs.
Advanced chronic tonsillitis is practically untreatable. To improve well-being and get rid of constant sore throat, a person will have to have his tonsils removed.
To avoid complications, it is recommended to consult a doctor promptly. It is better to coordinate home treatment with a specialist. If it was not possible to avoid the development of chronic tonsillitis, it is necessary to consult a doctor about the possibilities of effective treatment. There is no need to endure a sore throat, especially if the inflamed tonsils negatively affect the functioning of the entire body. There are many modern methods of effective treatment of chronic tonsillitis, for example, cryodestruction and laser removal of tonsils.
