Tonsils are the two soft tissues, (lymph nodes) located on each side of the back of your throat. They function as a defense mechanism that help prevent your body from infection. When the tonsils become infected or inflamed, the condition is known as tonsillitis. Tonsillitis can occur at any age but mainly common in children and can be caused by both bacterial and viral infections.
Symptoms of tonsillitis includes;
. Swollen or inflamed tonsils
. Sore throat
. Difficulty and pain when swallowing
. Mild to severe Fever
. Bad breath
How it spreads
. By airborne respiratory droplets (coughs or sneezes).
. By saliva (kissing or shared drinks).
Treatment
Tonsillitis can be treated either by surgical processes or home remedies. There are quite a number of home remedies that can be very effective when treating tonsillitis. Let's see them below;
Gargling and Rinsing with Salt water
A very painful sore throat can be caused by tonsillitis. Gargling and rinsing with warm salt water has been proven to be very effective in alleviating the pain caused by tonsillitis. It can also help to reduce inflammation of the tonsils.
Dissolve about ½ teaspoon of salt in about half cup of warm water. Gargle and swish through the mouth for several seconds and then spit it out. You can repeat this at least trice a day.
Warm coffee or tea with raw honey
Raw honey, has been shown to have a strong antibacterial properties which may help treat the infections causing the tonsillitis. Mixing a raw honey with warm tea or coffee, can help to reduce the discomfort and pain that comes with tonsillitis.
Ice Creams
For children who may not be comfortable with other home remedies, using ice creams or anything cold such as Popsicle can also be helpful when treating the pains that comes with tonsillitis.
Humidifiers
Dry air can irritate the throat and make pain more severe. Staying in a humid environment or keeping your humidifier on, may also be very beneficial in soothing discomforts and pains in the throat.
If you don’t have a humidifier, sitting in a room filled with steam from the shower can also provide the desired humidity you would need.