How to Treat Chronic Tonsillitis
Chronic tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils that has lasted a long time, about 2 weeks or more. Symptoms experienced by patients with chronic tonsillitis can often recur. Therefore, to treat it requires medical treatment. How to treat chronic tonsillitis that can be done is to undergo tonsillectomy.
Tonsillitis can occur when bacteria or viruses cause infection and inflammation of the tonsils. If your tonsillitis lasts more than two weeks and occurs repeatedly, it means you have chronic tonsillitis.
Causes of Chronic Tonsillitis
In chronic tonsillitis, infection or inflammation can last a long time and recur frequently. Over time, inflammation can lead to the formation of tonsil stones, which are filled with bacteria and smell bad.
Generally, this recurrent infection is caused by several factors, including:
- Lack of oral hygiene.
- Weak immune system.
- Incomplete treatment of acute tonsillitis.
- Radiation exposure.
- Smoking habit.
- Weather factor.
Symptoms of Chronic Tonsillitis
The occurrence of tonsillitis can cause the tonsils to become enlarged and cause several symptoms including:
- Sore throat that lasts a long time.
- Throat pain that radiates to the ears and neck.
- Bad breath.
- Snoring is caused by enlarged tonsils, which are glands located on the back wall between the throat and nasal cavity.
How to treat chronic tonsillitis
To treat chronic tonsillitis is usually done by an ENT doctor. Just like acute tonsillitis, chronic tonsillitis can also be treated with medication. If chronic tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial infection, antibiotics can be used to treat it.
To relieve pain due to chronic tonsillitis, your doctor may prescribe pain medication, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. However, in certain conditions, the doctor will suggest to undergo tonsillectomy. Some of these conditions include:
- Symptoms are getting worse and often recur in a year more than 7 times.
- Complications such as sleep apnea, festering tonsils, and infection spread to other surrounding organs.
- Daily activities become disturbed, such as difficulty swallowing, talking and sleeping.
- Medicines are no longer effective for treating inflammation of the tonsils.
If people with chronic tonsillitis have difficulty breathing, they must be treated immediately and hospitalized. If necessary, the doctor will perform tonsillectomy to treat the symptoms of chronic tonsillitis.
There are several methods used in tonsillectomy, some use laser light, sound waves, and conventional surgery using a scalpel. Usually the doctor determines the method to be used for tonsillectomy based on the severity of the tonsillitis and also based on the patient's overall health condition.
Preparation for Tonsillectomy
The length of time for tonsillectomy depends on the method used, but usually a tonsillectomy lasts about 30 to 60 minutes. Usually patients are allowed to go home on the same day or one day after tonsillectomy.
Before the doctor performs a tonsillectomy procedure, the patient will be under general anaesthesia. So that during the operation the patient will fall asleep and do not feel anything.
Before undergoing tonsillectomy, the patient will be advised to fast to reduce the risk of vomiting due to the side effects of the anesthetic. The doctor or nurse will provide information about when to fast and some other instructions that may and may not be done before tonsillectomy.
Don't forget to tell your doctor about any medications or supplements you are taking. Usually, before undergoing a tonsillectomy procedure you will be told to stop taking blood thinning drugs, such as warfarin and aspirin, for at least 1-2 weeks.
Treat After Undergoing Tonsillectomy
After undergoing tonsillectomy, of course you will feel pain in the throat area. Sometimes the pain is felt in the neck and in the ears, but usually it will get better within 1-2 weeks by taking painkillers given by the doctor.
In addition to taking painkillers, there are several ways you can do to relieve pain while accelerating the healing process after undergoing tonsillectomy:
- Consume soft-textured foods that are easy to swallow. It's best to avoid acidic, spicy and hard foods that can cause pain and bleeding.
- Drink lots of water to prevent dehydration. It's best to consume cold drinks, but avoid drinks that contain acids such as orange juice, so that the pain you feel doesn't get worse.
- Rest at home for 2 weeks and do not do any activities outside the home, such as going to school or playing.
To determine the appropriate treatment method, the doctor needs to conduct an examination of chronic tonsillitis. After conducting an examination, the doctor will determine how severe the chronic tonsillitis is and suggest the appropriate treatment method. Thus an explanation of how to treat chronic tonsillitis may be useful.
