Treat Tonsilitis with Homeopathy

Tonsils refer to two pads of lymphatic tissue present at the back of the throat. They are important as they help to trap germs and prevent them from reaching the airways and causing infections. Tonsillitis refers to inflammation and swelling of the tonsils. This is quite a common problem, especially in children. In this article, we will know the scope of treatment of tonsillitis in homeopathy.

What are the causes of tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis is mainly caused by viral or bacterial infection. Streptococcus bacteria are the most common bacterial cause of tonsillitis. Other common causes are:-

• Influenza virus
• Parainfluenza virus
• Adenovirus
• Epstein- Barr virus
• Enterovirus
• Herpes simplex virus

What are the risk factors for tonsillitis?

The common risk factors for tonsillitis are:-

Age– Children are more prone to get tonsillitis. Children below 5 years of age tend to get viral infections whereas kids between 5-15 years of age are more likely to suffer from tonsillitis due to bacterial infections.

Exposure to germs- Children tend to get exposed to germs easily as they spend more time with other kids in school. Similarly, adults such as teachers who spend more time around children are also likely to get an infection and eventually tonsillitis.

Also Read Homeopathy for Recurrent Tonsillitis

What are the signs and symptoms of tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis is of three types

• Acute tonsillitis – The symptoms of acute tonsillitis can last from 3-4 days up to 2 weeks.
• Recurrent tonsillitis– In this tonsillitis occurs several times in a year.
• Chronic tonsillitis– In this tonsillitis is of long-term duration.

General signs and symptoms of tonsillitis

• Swelling of tonsils. The size of the tonsils may be increased at times to an extent that it becomes difficult to breathe through the mouth.
• Pain or tenderness in the throat
• Fever with or without chills
• Red tonsils
• The yellow or white colour coating on the tonsils
• Painful ulcers or blisters in the throat
• Headache
• Poor appetite
• Ear pain
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Enlarged glands in the jaw or neck
• Bad breath
• Stiff neck
• Muffled or scratchy voice

In addition to this, the symptoms of tonsillitis in children include:-

• Stomach upset
• Stomach pain
• Vomiting
• Drooling
• No desire to swallow or eat

What are the diagnostic tools for tonsillitis?

Certain tests may be advised by the physician to find the cause of tonsillitis. These are:-

• Throat swab- This is done to test cells and saliva from the throat for the presence of streptococcal bacteria. For this, a cotton swab is run along the back of the throat. Usually, the results are obtained within 10-15 minutes. If the test results are negative a virus is considered to be the cause of tonsillitis infection.
• Blood test- A blood test called Complete Blood Count (CBC) number of blood cells to show if a bacteria or virus caused tonsillitis.

Also Read Tonsils: Common symptoms and Effective Treatments

What are the complications of tonsillitis?

Complications due to tonsillitis occur if the infection is caused by bacteria. The complications are:-

• Peritonsillar abscess or a collection of pus around the tonsils.
• Middle ear infection
• Obstructive sleep apnea or breathing difficulty while sleeping
• Tonsillar cellulitis or spread of infection to nearby tissues.
• If one does not get timely treatment for tonsillitis caused due to streptococcal bacteria also called strep throat one gets severe complications such as scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, sinusitis, glomerulonephritis or kidney infection.

What are the management tips for tonsillitis?

Certain management tips to deal with tonsillitis are:-

• Take plenty of rest
• Take very cold or warm fluids to ease throat pain
• Eat smooth foods such as ice cream, flavored gelatins etc
• Use a humidifier or cool-mist vaporizer
• Gargle using warm salt water

What is the treatment for tonsillitis?

Homeopathy has a significant role to play in the treatment of tonsillitis. Homeopathy is effective in treating tonsillitis caused by both viruses and bacteria. Homeopathic medicine not only helps to treat the acute episode of tonsillitis but it helps to raise the immunity of the person so that the recurrence of future episodes can be stopped or reduced in intensity. In children, this is all the more important as every episode of tonsillitis adversely affects the appetite of the children which compromises the crucial time to grow and thrive. Also, those children who frequently suffer from tonsillitis have to stay away from school which interferes with their formal education.

Common homeopathy medicines for tonsillitis

Belladonna– In this the tonsils are very red in color and the throat feels constricted and swallowing difficult and painful.

Hepar sulphuris calcareum– In this pus points can be seen on the tonsils. Splinter-like pain is there in the throat on swallowing. The patient is very sensitive to cold and feels better about eating or drinking warm things.

Phytolacca – In this, the tonsils are swollen and dark- red or purplish in color. The throat feels hot, rough and narrow with pain at the root of the tongue extending to the ear. The patient cannot swallow anything hot during tonsillitis.

CONCLUSION

Tonsillitis refers to swelling and inflammation of the tonsils. It is a common problem especially seen in children. It is mainly caused by viral and bacterial infections.

Signs and symptoms of tonsillitis are swollen tonsils, red discoloration, pus points and ulcers on tonsils, Pain in the throat, fever, headache, poor appetite, ear pain, difficulty in swallowing, enlarged glands in the jaw or neck, bad breath, stiff neck and muffled or scratchy voice.

In children, additional symptoms of tonsillitis such as stomach pain or stomach upsets, vomiting and drooling from the mouth are also seen. Timely and proper treatment of tonsillitis is important or else complications especially in tonsillitis due to bacterial infection can occur.

Treating tonsillitis with homeopathy has been found to be very effective and safe. Homeopathic medicine not only arrests the acute episode of tonsillitis but also raises the immunity of the patient to avoid any future occurrence of this problem. It is recommended to refer to a trained homeopathic physician to avail of the benefits of homeopathic treatment for this condition.