Though tonsillitis is a very common childhood illness, it can make your kid extremely miserable. Here’s what you can do to soothe that poor sore throat and ease the tonsillitis in a natural way
Tonsillitis is much more than just a simple throat infection. It usually hurts a lot hence leaving your kid feeling miserable, sick, and drained. Tonsillitis results when the tonsils which are the ‘bulby’ bits at the back of the throat become overwhelmed by a viral or bacterial infection. It can occur as part of a throat infection called pharyngitis and causes them to become inflamed, swollen, and covered in white spots.
What are the tonsils?
The tonsils are the two fleshy bits of tissues that lie at the back of your throat. They form part of your body’s immune system, their major function being to catch the incoming germs and prevent infection getting to the mouth, throat and sinuses. They contain special cells that trap and kill viruses and bacteria– antibodies that stop the germs from spreading in your body. If the tonsils themselves get infected then you end up suffering from the tonsillitis.
Tonsillitis is very common, especially in children and more so in the winter season. It is highly infectious, which means it spreads easily from one child to another child by contact with throat or the nasal fluids. So sneezing, coughing, used tissues, shared drinks and kissing will all pass on the infection and the germ.
A hot tip!
One of the best things that you can do to prevent your child from getting tonsillitis is getting them to wash their hands! Hand- to-hand contact is one of the fastest ways of spreading the bacteria and viruses responsible for the throat infections. The three malefactors are: the Streptococcus A bacteria – often known as the strep throat; the Epstein-Barr virus; and the Coxsackie virus. The incubation time ranges from 2-4 days, so it can pass through the pre-schools and families very quickly. Regular, simple washing with soap and water kills the bugs.
Treating the tonsillitis
If you suspect that your child has a throat infection, have them checked out properly by a health professional who can do a throat culture which is a simple swab of the tonsils, sometimes called a rapid strep test used to determine whether it is tonsillitis and whether it is caused by a bacteria or virus.
Irrespective of the cause, in the vast majority of cases tonsillitis is a self-limitingailment, which means it normally gets better without any medical treatment within about seven days. Sometimes, however, the tonsils and surrounding glands can take several weeks to return to being normal and your child can be left feeling lethargic and tired. Some natural treatments and plenty of the TLC can help relieve the misery of a scratchy throat and make your child’s recovery time shorter.
The tonsillitis action plan
The children with tonsillitis often do not want to eat or drink because of the pain that they suffer from during the ailment. Warm drinks and soft food help, as do pain relief, throat pastilles and mouth-washes. Do encourage your kid to intake some fluids – water is best, and little and often is the way to go.
If they are hungry try and get something into them that will help boost their immune system. Giving them nutritious soups or citrus fruits are a great idea. Steer clear of processed foods, sugar, and dairy, which can actually slow down your kid’s healing process. Encourage your kids to take rest and keep warm – this is a great time to stock up on videos. Overnight, use a humidifier in the room with camphor, eucalyptus, bergamot, and lavender or tea-tree essential oils to keep your kid’s throat and airways clear and moist, and help them with the swallowing.
Your child’s body is defending itself from the painful infection, so anything that will help their body’s immune system fight back is great. Give them some multi-vitamins, especially the ones that contain vitamins E and C, selenium and zinc, are excellent some choices. Moreover, herbal medicine, homeopathies and naturopathy are also commonly used and serve as effective complementary approaches for dealing with the tonsillitis.