Home Remedies For Swollen Tonsils

The tonsil infection is medically called Tonsillitis, which is caused by the inflammation in the tonsils. It is mostly caused by bacterial and viral infections. Tonsillitis can infect anyone, but it is more common in children. According to research published by the American Academy of Otolaryngology, almost all children in America are infected by tonsillitis at least one time. So it is one of the most common problems yet easy to cure. There are a lot of treatments available to cure tonsillitis, you can also use some home remedies for better relief. The home remedies effectively reduce and treat the symptoms of tonsillitis like swollen tonsils, pain when swallowing, sore throat, bad breath, fever, ear pain, and hoarse voice.

What is Tonsils?

Tonsils are two oval-shaped small glands, which are placed in the back of the throat. The tonsils are soft tissues that help the immune system by filtering the virus and bacteria that enter the body through the mouth or nose.

Why are Tonsils Infected?

Due to the frequent contact with bacterias and viruses, the tonsils are easily infected and inflamed. This leads to tonsillitis. Studies say 15 to 30 percent of tonsillitis are caused by bacterial infections.

Home Remedies For Swollen Tonsils

The following home remedies will help to quick relief from tonsillitis and its symptoms.

Gargling with Salt Water

Gargling the throat using warm salt water will help to soothe the pain and sore throat caused by tonsillitis. It also helps to treat bacterial infection and reduce inflammation in the tonsils. Saltwater for gargling is very easy to prepare, simply add half a tsp of salt in 4 ounces of warm water. Then stir the water until it dissolves.

Gargle with the warm salt water for several seconds and spit it. This process is very safe to do often and also it is important for the person to avoid swallowing the salt water. Finally, you can wash your mouth using regular water. Gargling with salt water is not suitable for young children who are infected by tonsillitis, because there is a risk that children may inhale the liquid and choke.

Drink A Lot Of Warm Drinks

Drinking warm beverages like broths, soups, and teas will help to soothe the sore throat. It also helps to get relief from throat irritation caused by infection and swelling.

Warm Tea With Honey

Herbal tea will help to reduce the discomfort caused by tonsillitis. The ingredients in the herbal tea like glycerine, pectin, or honey will create a protective layer over the mucous membranes in the throat and mouth, that soothes the irritation caused by tonsillitis.

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Pure mountain honey has strong antibacterial properties, so adding honey to the tea will help to treat the infection caused by tonsillitis. Stir the tea until the honey dissolves completely and drink the warm tea. Some kinds of tea will improve the benefits of home remedies. Ginger tea and fennel tea has a strong level of anti-inflammatory properties, so it helps to treat inflammation on the throat and reduce discomfort.

Eating Cold Foods

Cold food is more effective in treating inflammation, pain, and swelling that caused by tonsillitis. Eating soft and cold foods like ice cream, frozen foods will numb the throat and provide temporary pain relief. This treatment is more helpful for young children who can’t safely use other home remedies.

Adults and older children can also try popsicles, chilled smoothies, ice-cold water for temporary pain relief. You can also try some other options like chewing gums, hard candies that have menthol or mint. These also provide numbing sensation and chillness to the throat.

Avoid Hard Foods

People who have tonsillitis eating hard and sharp foods are really very uncomfortable and cause pain, so it is better to avoid that kind of foods like crackers, chips, toast, carrots, and potato. Hard foods scratch your throat which leads to inflammation and irritation and makes your swelling worse. It is better to eat soft foods like scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, Jell-O, broths, soups, and chilled smoothies during swollen tonsils.

Increase Humidity

Dry air increases the irritation in the sore throat. People who are infected with tonsillitis can use a vaporizer or humidifier to get relief from the pain, scratchy throat, and dry throat.

A humidifier will give moisture to the air that helps to relieve the throat discomfort. You should clean it daily to avoid the growth of harmful bacteria and mold. If you don’t have any humidifier, then you can turn on the hot shower and close the bathroom door. It also provides humidity to the air, inhaling the steam also helps to reduce symptoms.

Use Throat Lozenges

Some throat lozenges are considered as anesthetic medicine to soothe and numb the throat. Most herbs like Licorice, menthol are considered anti-inflammatory drugs that reduce inflammation and swelling. One of the greatest benefits of using throat lozenges is, they directly deliver pain relief to the inflammation.

Some lozenges have a strong antiseptic agent that directly attacks the bacteria which is responsible for tonsillitis. Anyhow, lozenges are not suitable for young children because of the choking risk. Moreover, throat lozenges are more effective, so it is better to give throat spray to young children. The FDA recommends the parents avoid giving the product containing benzocaine to children less than 2 years without any doctor recommendation.

Using Throat Spray

Over-the-country throat spray contains some chemical compounds like phenol, benzylamine, benzocaine, dibucaine, cetylpyridinium chloride, benzyl alcohol, and chlorhexidine gluconate that are responsible for the anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and anesthetic properties. Due to these properties, throat spray provides great relief from inflammation and pain.

Use Over-the-country Pain Reliever

OTC medicines help to get relief from the painful symptoms of tonsillitis like fever, sore throat. The drugs in the medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen will provide better relief from discomfort and throat pain. But aspirin is not suitable for children, it may cause life-threatening illnesses to them. Having analgesics at a regular interval will help to reduce pain.

Avoid Voice Straining

Swollen tonsils will make your voice muffled. If you raise your voice, it will strain your vocal cords and increase pain and irritation. So giving rest to the vocal cords is the best thing to get a quick recovery. Continuous speaking during the swollen tonsils will lead to an appointment with the doctor and also sometimes, it creates complications to recover.

Get A Lot Of Rest

Allowing your body to take some rest will build up the immune system to fight against the infection. People who are infected with tonsils should take a rest as much as possible. Doing regular work not only increases the infection and also may have the chance of spreading to other people. So staying in bed for at least a couple of days will help to a quick recovery.

When To Visit Doctor

Mostly tonsillitis cures within a few days without getting any treatments. Exceptionally, few people may experience worse and continuous symptoms. In some cases, it will spread the infection, so it may be complicated to treat. If the tonsillitis symptoms become worse, he should see the doctor for recovery. Some types of bacterias infect the tonsils. People should make a doctor’s appointment if they are experiencing the following symptoms.

Sore throat does not cure more than 2 days
Labored swallowing or breathing
Severe throat pain and difficulty to drink and eat.
Extreme weakness, illness, and fatigue
Fever more than 3 days
Swollen lymph nodes

These symptoms indicate that the bacterial infection requires antibiotics.

Bottom Line

Most tonsillitis is cured quickly, but tonsillitis is caused by bacterias, and the virus will take 7 to 10 days to resolve. In that case, people should take a lot of rest and drink plenty of fluids. You should also take antibiotic medicine if you are infected by viruses and bacterias.

Whether you are taking home remedies or a doctor’s prescription, it is important to take a rest and drink a lot of fluids to get a quick recovery. In some rare cases, the infections are very complicated to cure and they become worse, so it is better to take remedies in the initial stage.