How to Treat Swollen Tonsils Properly
Swollen tonsils often cause discomfort and pain in the esophagus, especially when used to swallow food. This condition often occurs due to an infection in the mouth or respiratory tract that can affect the tonsils. Then how to treat swollen tonsils? Check out the explanation here.
The tonsils are part of the immune system that functions to fight bacterial infections. However, the tonsils can also experience a disorder so that the tonsils cannot function properly to fight germs. The disorder is usually characterized by swelling.
Swollen tonsils may be accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever, bad breath, sore throat, cough, runny nose, and even swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck.
Causes of Swollen Tonsils
Usually swollen tonsils are caused by a bacterial infection in the oral cavity or respiratory tract. In addition, there are also several other conditions or diseases that can cause the tonsils to become swollen. Some of the causes of swollen tonsils include the following:
1. Tonsillitis
Swollen tonsils can be caused by tonsillitis. Often this condition is caused by an infection with the Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria which usually affects children between the ages of 5-15 years.
Besides being swollen, usually tonsillitis due to bacterial infection can cause detritus, which is a white or yellow spot that appears on the surface of the tonsils.
Besides being caused by a bacterial infection, tonsillitis can also be caused by a viral infection such as influenza, rubella, adenovirus, and rhinovirus. Also read articles about: How To Treat Tonsillitis
2. Tonsil stones
Tonsil stones are caused by repeated infection or inflammation of the tonsils. Tonsil stones can form from the buildup of food debris, mucus, and bacteria that stick to the grooves on the surface of the tonsils. At first the tonsil stones are small, but over time the tonsil stones can harden and even swell and become inflamed. Also read articles about: How to Treat Tonsil Stones At Home
3. Strep throat
Usually, strep throat is caused by the same germs that cause tonsillitis. It is not uncommon for strep throat to affect the tonsils, causing them to become inflamed and swollen. This is because the position of the tonsils is close to the throat.
Besides being caused by a bacterial infection, strep throat can also be caused by other things that can cause irritation to the throat, such as cigarette smoke, allergies, and exposure to pollution. Symptoms caused by strep throat are usually similar to flu symptoms, namely cough, pain when swallowing, runny nose, fever and weakness. Also read articles about: How to Treat Strep Throat in Child
4. Mononucleosis
Mononucleosis is a disease caused by infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. This disease can cause swollen tonsils accompanied by the appearance of white plaque on the roof of the mouth.
Besides being able to cause swollen tonsils, this disease can also cause other symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, thighs and pain in the abdomen due to an enlarged spleen.
5. Oral candidiasis
Oral candidiasis is a fungal infection that occurs in the mouth. This condition can cause white lumps to appear on the inner cheeks, gums, throat and tonsils. When the tonsils experience this infection, the symptoms caused are swelling.
Oral candidiasis usually attacks babies whose immunity is still not fully developed. Other conditions that can cause the immune system to decrease can also trigger this disease, such as people with cancer and HIV disease.
In addition to some of the causes above, swollen tonsils can also be caused by tonsil cancer and gastric acid reflux.
How to Treat Swollen Tonsils
To treat swollen tonsils, treatment can be adjusted based on the cause. The following are some ways that can be done to treat swollen tonsils.
1. Using medicine
If the swollen tonsils are caused by a Streptococcus bacterial infection, the doctor will usually prescribe antibiotics such as cefadroxil or amoxicillin.
The purpose of giving these antibiotics is to prevent infection from spreading to other parts of the body and reduce the risk of complications such as rheumatic fever and kidney disease glomerulonephritis.
The use of antibiotics will not be effective if the swollen tonsils are caused by a viral infection. For this condition, the doctor will usually give an antivirus according to the cause.
In addition, to relieve the accompanying symptoms, certain medicines will usually also be given. For example, complaints of pain when swallowing food can be given non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, such as celecoxib, diclofenac and ibuprofen.
In addition to taking medication, it will also be recommended to get plenty of rest, eat foods with a soft texture, and drink lots of water.
2. Tonsillectomy
Tonsil surgery procedure is usually recommended for people who experience recurrent tonsillitis more than 4 times a year, where the condition does not improve despite taking medication. In addition, tonsillectomy will also be recommended for people who have complications that result in difficulty swallowing and breathing.
Tonsillectomy is done by taking one of the tonsils or taking both tonsils directly.
So that swollen tonsils do not recur easily, you should take precautions by maintaining oral health. Although swollen tonsils seem trivial, they still need to be treated. If not treated promptly, this condition can lead to complications. Therefore, if you experience swollen tonsils, you should immediately consult a doctor to get the right treatment. Thus an explanation of how to treat swollen tonsils may be useful.
