The term tonsils derive from tonsillitis, which means redness/inflammation of the tonsils, which are two oval-shaped glands sitting at the back of your throat. It’s a very uncomfortable situation, so in this article, we will discuss the root causes and treatments available on how to get instant relief from tonsils.
Now, one might ask what role do the tonsils play in our bodies? The answer to that is fighting off the various viruses and bacteria that might enter the body via your nose or mouth. Notably, most tonsillitis cases have a viral infection as their root cause. Also, this condition is more common in children, but it can affect anyone.
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Now that we have discussed what tonsillitis is, now is the time to go into further details like what are the causes, its diagnosis, and the remedies and treatments, home-based or over-the-counter (OTC) medications.
Causes
As discussed before, tonsillitis can result from Bacterial and viral infections, the former being the primary cause. Streptococcus bacteria is a common cause that also includes viruses like Influenza virus, Adenoviruses, etc.
Also, even though this infection has the ability to strike at any time of the year but it has been noticed that tonsilitis tends to happen more often during flu and cold season.
Symptoms & Diagnosis
If you decide to visit a doctor then a physical exam will be done by him/her. It involves looking at your tonsils for redness, pus, or if they are swollen, fever check, etc. Your ears, nose, and sides of the neck might also be inspected for swelling and pain. Tonsils can also be detected by the following symptoms-
- sore throat and pain while swallowing
- hoarse voice, bad breath or ear pain
Treatment
Here are the various methods on how to get instant relief from tonsils-
1. Gargling with Warm Salt Water
Rinsing and Gargling using warm salt water is the ultimate remedy to temporarily soothing a sore throat and getting relief from the pain caused by tonsillitis.
Stirring a teaspoon of salt with 8 ounces of warm water until dissolution and gargling should do the trick.
2. Eat cold foods and avoid hard foods
Having cold, soft foods for example- chilled smoothies, frozen yogurt, or even ice-cold water numbs the throat. This can offer temporary pain relief.
While on the other hand, hard/sharp foods like chips, crackers, toast, etc. can lead to further inflammation.
3. Use Humidifiers while indoors
Tonsillitis patients may hugely alleviate their throat discomfort from a cool-mist humidifier as dry air can irritate an already sore throat. Inhaling hot shower steam can have the same impact.
4. Avoid straining your voice and get plenty of rest
Don’t be tempted to raise your voice, because doing so further risks throat irritation. So not only one has to give his/her voice plenty of rest, but the whole body has to be rested to fight off the infection.
5. Medical Treatment
Over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics can help relieve tonsillitis symptoms like sore throat, fever, etc. Some of these drugs are acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc. Taking these medications at regular intervals sustains much-needed pain relief.
Bottom Line
Tonsillitis is a pretty common condition that is usually resolved within a few days without treatment. Still, the discussed home remedies and OTC treatments can help resolve it for both children and adults.
It’s notable that tonsilitis may at times result in serious complications so it’s advisable to see a doctor if it persists for a longer duration.
