Table of contents:
- Medical drugs to treat tonsils
- 1. Antibiotics
- 2. Ibuprofen and paracetamol
- Natural remedy for tonsillitis
- 1. Salt water
- 2. Warm tea and honey
- 3. Lemon juice and honey
- 4. Lozenges
- 5. Garlic
- 6. Cinnamon
- 7. Turmeric
- 8. Use a humidifier
- When to see a doctor
Inflammation of the tonsils (tonsillitis) is a disease characterized by swelling of the tonsils. Tonsillitis is usually caused by infection from bacteria or viruses. Overcoming this disease does not always have to be through surgical removal of the tonsils. There are still a number of ways both through medical and natural medicine that can be tried to treat inflammation of the tonsils.
Medical drugs to treat tonsils
The tonsils or tonsils are part of the front line of the body's defense system. The tonsils ward off disease attacks that enter through the oral cavity. Even so, this also makes the tonsils more susceptible to infection from viruses and bacteria.
Swollen tonsils can cause a variety of annoying symptoms ranging from sore throat when swallowing, sleep disturbances and difficulty breathing. Therefore, treatment for tonsillitis needs to be done immediately.
The following are types of swollen tonsil medications that are commonly used.
1. Antibiotics
To prescribe the right tonsil medication, your doctor needs to first determine the cause of your tonsillitis. If tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial infection, then the type of drug needed is an antibiotic.
The type of antibiotic most often used to treat tonsillitis is penicillin. Antibiotics need to be taken for 10 days, but if you show signs of an allergy, your doctor can give you another type of antibiotic for strep throat as an alternative.
Antibiotics must be consumed until they run out to prevent bacterial resistance and complications. One type of complication that can occur due to the wrong consumption of antibiotics is rheumatic fever. This disease causes inflammation of the liver, nervous system, joints, and skin due to bacterial infection.
2. Ibuprofen and paracetamol
You don't need to take antibiotics if tonsillitis is caused by a virus. To relieve the pain that arises from swollen tonsils, you can take pain relievers, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Not only relieves pain, ibuprofen is an NSAID class drug that also functions as an anti-inflammatory. Both types of drugs can be obtained directly with or without a doctor's prescription.
However, if you want to buy tonsil medication at a pharmacy without a doctor's prescription, make sure that you are aware of the benefits and side effects of the drug.
Paracetamol is intended to relieve mild or moderate pain and relieve fever. These drugs tend to be safe for consumption by children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. Paracetamol usually will not cause any side effects if taken according to the rules.
The pain relieving effect of ibuprofen is stronger than paracetamol. Ibuprofen works to reduce hormones that cause pain and swelling in the body. Therefore, this drug is not recommended for drinking by pregnant and lactating women who experience tonsillitis. Unless a doctor prescribes it.
Apart from paracetamol and ibuprofen, aspirin is also commonly used to treat pain. However, aspirin should not be given to children because it can cause Reye's syndrome (swelling of the brain).
Natural remedy for tonsillitis
Before using certain ingredients to treat inflammation of the tonsils, you can try a few steps to relieve inflammation and pain in the throat. The American Academy of Otolaryngology, recommends some of these natural ways to treat tonsillitis:
- Maintain adequate fluid intake.
- Get enough rest.
- Eat soft textured foods that are easy to chew and swallow.
- Avoiding smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke, or other substances that can irritate the respiratory tract, as well.
- Avoid consumption of acidic foods and drinks.
If these steps are not effective enough, here are some natural remedies that you can use to relieve inflammation due to swollen tonsils.
1. Salt water
The simplest natural way to treat tonsillitis is by gargling with warm salt water.
The warm water has a sore throat soothing effect while the salt acts as a natural antiseptic which helps reduce inflammation by killing viruses and bacteria.
The trick is to simply mix half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water. Then, gargle with the solution for a few seconds and make sure that the salt water reaches the inflamed tonsils.
Also, make sure that no salt water is swallowed when you rinse your mouth. After that, you can gargle with plain water until the salty taste is gone.
2. Warm tea and honey
Honey has powerful antibacterial compounds that are useful for fighting infections in inflamed tonsils. While warm drinks such as tea can reduce pain due to swollen tonsils.
Ginger tea and fennel tea are two examples of teas with the highest content of anti-inflammatory compounds that can provide this benefit. The combination of warm tea and honey can be a natural remedy that makes your throat feel more comfortable as well as warding off infection.
Mix one teaspoon of honey in a cup of ginger tea. Then, stir until the honey is completely dissolved. You can drink it regularly every day when the tonsils are sore, but remember not to take it in hot conditions.
Apart from that, you can consume honey right away without adding anything else or add it to a cup of tea. Although not an immediate cure, honey helps relieve symptoms that arise from swollen tonsils.
3. Lemon juice and honey
The health benefits of lemon are not in doubt. Lemon has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties so it can fight infection and inflammation. In addition, the vitamin C content in it can increase immunity against infection.
As a natural remedy for tonsillitis, you can use a squeeze of lemon juice (1 piece), a pinch of salt, and a teaspoon of honey in a glass of warm water. Stir until all mixed, then drink slowly. Do this routine twice a day to speed healing.
4. Lozenges
Some types of lozenges have special properties that can soothe sore throats caused by tonsillitis. There are also throat lozenges made from ingredients containing anti-inflammatory compounds, for example liquorice root which is better known as licorice.
Lozenges contain roots licorice has powerful anti-inflammatory compounds that can reduce inflammation and swelling of the tonsils and throat.
However, lozenges should not be given to children as a medicine for tonsillitis because of the risk of choking on the child. Instead, you can use a tonsillitis medicine in the form of a spray as recommended by your doctor.
5. Garlic
As a natural remedy that has been used for thousands of years, garlic is believed to strengthen the immune system. This natural ingredient is rich in antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral compounds, making it effective against viruses caused by colds, flu, and inflammation of the tonsils.
One way to use garlic as a natural remedy for tonsillitis is to eat it whole. However, if you can't stand the scent and pungent taste of garlic, you can mix it with herbal teas.
The way to make swollen tonsils medicine from garlic is to boil two small pieces of garlic cloves for 5 minutes. Then, remove and filter the garlic water from the cooking water. To give it a sweet taste, you can add a teaspoon of honey.
6. Cinnamon
Not only useful as a cooking spice or cake, cinnamon can also help relieve tonsillitis.
This is because cinnamon is rich in antimicrobial compounds so that it can inhibit the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms attached to the tonsils.
Therefore, cinnamon is known as a natural tonsillitis remedy that can reduce swelling and pain. and inflammation.
To get the benefits, mix one teaspoon of cinnamon powder in a glass of hot water. After that, mix in two teaspoons of honey until it dissolves and is evenly distributed. Breathe in the moisture that evaporates while the water is still hot. Then, you can drink it as soon as the temperature gets warm. This natural cinnamon mixture can be consumed 2-3 times a day for a week.
7. Turmeric
Turmeric is a type of spice that is useful as a powerful anti-inflammatory and natural antiseptic. So do not be surprised if turmeric is able to help fight tonsil infections and can relieve the symptoms of tonsils which are very annoying when you swallow.
If you are one of those people who likes to consume milk, you can mix a glass of warm milk with a teaspoon of turmeric powder and a pinch of black pepper.
Drink this natural tonsil inflammation medicine from turmeric at night for 2-3 days in a row. This method is believed to be effective in accelerating the healing of tonsillitis.
8. Use a humidifier
Dry air can exacerbate inflamed tonsils, irritate the esophagus, and cause chapped lips. You can work around this by using an air humidifier or humidifier. This tool can keep the air friendly to your throat so that you feel comfortable again.
Humidifier can be used as needed, especially at night or when the pain in the tonsils is intense. If you don't have this tool, you can do another natural way to treat tonsillitis by taking a warm bath.
When to see a doctor
Natural and over-the-counter tonsil medications can often only treat pain and swelling due to inflammation of the tonsils. Although they can fight infection, these drugs may not be effective enough to fight tonsillitis caused by Streptococcus bacteria, which causes strep throat.
Inflammation of the tonsils that is more severe usually requires further treatment. Be aware of the symptoms you are experiencing and consult a doctor immediately if inflammation of the tonsils is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Difficulty swallowing or pain when swallowing
- Pain or itching in the throat that doesn't go away after 2 days
- Sluggish body
- Swelling of the lymph nodes.
Inflammation of the tonsils caused by a virus usually clears up after 7-10 days. Meanwhile, inflammation caused by bacteria will heal after a week, or a few days after taking antibiotics. In other words, tonsil medicine is enough to treat this disease.
In some severe cases, infection with tonsillitis recurs within a year (chronic tonsillitis), can not be cured with antibiotics. Your doctor may suggest surgical removal of the tonsils or tonsillectomy as a way to treat a persistent inflammation of the mandible.
Infection of the tonsils can also cause pus formation or is known as a peritonsil abscess.
If an abscess is suspected, the doctor will need to examine the ears, nose and throat. The doctor can then remove the abscess and take medication to support your recovery.