Tonsillitis In Adults - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment, Herbal Medicine

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Tonsillitis in adults

Chronic tonsillitis is a recurrent inflammation of the tonsils, which occurs against the background of a local decrease in immunity. Tonsils in chronic tonsillitis are a source of infection that poisons the entire body, contributes to its allergization. If during remission the disease does not give itself out, then during the period of exacerbation, the person's body temperature rises, sore throat and sore throat appear, lymph nodes increase in size.

Tonsillitis is dangerous for its complications, including pyelonephritis, joint inflammation, adnexitis, prostatitis and many others. There are many factors that contribute to the formation of chronic tonsillitis. Residents of large cities, as well as people exposed to constant stress, especially often suffer from tonsillitis. A monotonous diet and an abundance of chemicals in food have a negative impact on local and general immunity.

Content:

• Causes of tonsillitis in adults
• Tonsillitis symptoms
• Can chronic tonsillitis be permanently cured?
• Tonsillitis treatment
• Herbal medicine in the treatment of tonsillitis
• Operative treatment

Causes of tonsillitis in adults

The tonsils perform the most important protective function in the human body. They prevent pathogenic microorganisms from entering the respiratory tract from food, water and inhaled air, producing lymphocytes, interferon and gammaglobulin. In the lacunae and crypts of the tonsils on a permanent basis, there are not only "beneficial" bacteria, but also conditionally pathogenic flora.

If a person's immunity functions in full, then inflammation does not develop, since the concentration of harmful bacteria is low, and their growth is suppressed by the natural forces of the body. Just imperceptibly for humans, "good" bacteria fight against pathogenic microorganisms coming from the external environment. However, for a number of reasons, this invisible balance can be disturbed, which will lead to an increase in the number of harmful bacilli and the development of sore throat, which is characterized by acute inflammation of the tonsils, can proceed in the follicular and lacunar form.

Sometimes the disease takes on a protracted course, it is difficult to treat with medication, which entails a decrease in local protection. As a result, the tonsils cannot cope with the function assigned to them, they lose the ability to cleanse themselves on their own, and a person develops chronic tonsillitis. Most often it is a consequence of an untreated acute tonsillitis, although in about 3% of cases the disease can develop without prior acute inflammation of the tonsil tissue.

In patients with chronic tonsillitis, about 30 different types of harmful bacteria can be sown from the tonsils. In the lacunae themselves, the pathogenic flora is usually represented by streptococci and staphylococci.

To determine the type of bacteria that caused tonsillitis, it is necessary to carry out a bacterial culture of mucus from the surface of the tonsils with a further antibiogram. This will allow you to choose a drug that is destructive specifically for the flora that provoked the disease. If you take an antibiotic at random, then there is a high probability that the treatment will not give the desired effect, or will drag on indefinitely. Moreover, it is untreated tonsillitis that is the most common cause of chronic tonsillitis.

There are diseases that act as factors provoking chronic tonsillitis:

• The presence of polyps in the nose, overgrowth of adenoids, bacterial sinusitis, sinusitis, curvature of the nasal septum. All of these diseases act as foci of infection from which bacteria can spread to the tonsils. In addition, the listed pathologies contribute to the disruption of nasal breathing, which can also cause inflammation.
• Measles, tuberculosis, scarlet fever and other infectious diseases lead to a deterioration in the body's resistance. This is especially true for those patients who do not receive adequate therapy, or their disease has a severe course.
• Hereditary predisposition has a certain value in terms of the development of chronic tonsillitis in the closest blood relatives.

Other risk factors include:

• Hypothermia of the body.
• Not drinking enough water throughout the day, as well as drinking low-quality drinks. A person needs at least 2 liters of water every day, and it should be passed through a filter or purchased already purified water.
• Frequent stress and existence in constant mental stress, poor quality and insufficient sleep, depression and chronic fatigue.
• Unfavorable working conditions, work in a dusty and gas-polluted room.
• Poor environmental situation in the place where the person lives. The danger is posed by industrial enterprises, overcrowded road transport, high levels of radiation, and the use of low-grade household chemicals for household use. It is necessary to get rid of carpets, furniture made of toxic materials, low-quality appliances, household chemicals with chlorine, washing powders with a high content of surfactants.
• Bad habits: smoking and alcohol abuse.
• Errors in nutrition, excessive consumption of foods rich in fast carbohydrates, insufficient presence of fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, cereals on the table.

On healthy tonsils, lymphoid tissue is delicate, there are no scars on it. If a person suffers from chronic tonsillitis, then the tissues undergo pathological changes, thicken, scar, and are replaced by coarse connective cellular material. Scars block access to the lacunae, which provokes the formation of closed foci containing pus in them. These are the so-called lacunar plugs. Microbes, dust particles, tobacco tar, dead epithelial cells accumulate in them.

Closed gaps are pockets that create ideal conditions for disease-causing bacteria to thrive. The more they become, the more actively they release toxic substances. They penetrate into the bloodstream and with its current spread throughout the body, penetrating into every organ and provoking chronic intoxication.

Of course, this is not a quick process, it happens gradually, but in a planned manner. As a result, not only local immunity suffers - the defense mechanism of the body as a whole is undermined. Moreover, streptococci are capable of provoking severe complications.

Tonsillitis symptoms

There are several forms of the course of the disease, each of which differs in certain symptoms:

• Simple recurrent tonsillitis. In this case, the person often suffers from recurrent sore throats. Symptoms are mild, the disease is characterized by the presence of purulent plugs on the surface of the tonsils, their swelling, and enlarged lymph nodes. A person feels as if a foreign body is present in his throat, which causes discomfort when swallowing food. When remission occurs, all symptoms disappear completely. Angina with a simple form of chronic tonsillitis occurs in humans, on average, 3 times a year. At this time, there is an increase in body temperature and general weakness. After each episode of the disease, the body recovers for a long time.
• Simple prolonged tonsillitis, when the disease has a sluggish course and does not go away for a long time.
• Simple compensated tonsillitis, when exacerbations rarely bother a person.

• Toxic-allergic tonsillitis. It is divided into 2 subspecies:

  1. The tonsils are inflamed, there are symptoms of allergization and intoxication of the body. The patient suffers from high fever, pains in the region of the heart join, but the ECG does not reveal any abnormalities. Also, a person has joint pain, general fatigue is observed. A person suffers other infectious diseases rather hard, the recovery period takes a lot of time.
  2. The patient's tonsils are inflamed on a permanent basis, so bacteria from them spread throughout the body. This provokes pathological changes in the kidneys, joints, liver, heart (ECG changes in rhythm, possibly the formation of a heart defect). With this form of toxic-allergic tonsillitis, rheumatism, arthritis develop, and the genitourinary system is involved in the pathological process. In this case, the body temperature can remain at subfebrile values, and the patient himself will complain of increased fatigue and weakness.

Can chronic tonsillitis be permanently cured?

It is impossible to cure chronic tonsillitis forever, because pathogenic bacteria are present not only in the air, water, food, but also in the human body itself. However, they are not dangerous for healthy immunity. The body will cope with them on its own, and this struggle will pass unnoticed for a person. When the immune system fails, any infection poses a threat to health.

Another reason that does not allow once and for all to forget about such a disease as tonsillitis is the ability of bacteria to adapt and adapt to changes in their environment. That is, these microorganisms have the ability to develop resistance to antibacterial drugs. Therefore, the habit of taking antibiotics at their own discretion is very dangerous, in situations where they could be dispensed with. In response to the action of the drug, bacteria produce enzymes that negate its entire therapeutic effect. As a result, part of the pathogenic flora survives and continues to poison the body, and also passes on protective mechanisms by inheritance to their future generations.

There is a third reason why it is impossible to get rid of chronic tonsillitis forever. The disease is very often caused by a bacterium such as Staphylococcus aureus. It actively multiplies, after which it forms colonies that exist in films that have many layers. With the help of medication, only the upper layer of this protection can be destroyed. The rest of the bacterial layers remain viable.

General recommendations for the treatment of tonsillitis. For the immune system to be able to resist disease, it needs help and support from the person himself.

To increase the protective potential of your own body, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• Go in for sports, give up a sedentary lifestyle.
• Eat right, giving preference to healthy foods.
• Carry out hardening procedures.
• Give up all bad habits. The tonsils are especially affected by tobacco smoke, which reduces their ability to resist harmful bacteria.
• Regularly do wet cleaning in the room, use the device to humidify the air.

It is possible that some people will be against such a useful event as tempering. The reason for this may be the argument about the relapse of the disease against the background of hypothermia. However, hardening does not mean abruptly starting to dive into an ice-hole or doused with ice water. The hardening of the body should begin gradually, with a gradual decrease in the temperature of water and air. This will allow the body to turn on its own adaptive mechanisms without making a sudden exit from the usual comfort zone. Adults should consider the hardening system developed by Porfiry Ivanovsky. The methods of Komarovsky, Tolkachev, Grebenkin are perfect for children.

To harden, you can use a regular shower. To do this, change the temperature of the water, making it hot or cool. The contrast in water temperature should not be sharp. You need to start with a few degrees, gradually increasing the divergence.

Hardening procedures are prohibited against the background of exacerbation of any disease. Chronic tonsillitis is no exception.

Tonsillitis treatment

If a person has chronic tonsillitis, which is outside the stage of exacerbation and does not manifest itself in any way, then antibacterial drugs are not prescribed to him. In this case, the use of anti-allergenic drugs and the use of sprays with antiseptic properties may be indicated. For the disinfection of the tonsils, it is possible to rinse the throat with Dioxidin, Tonsilgon N, Furacilin.

When tonsillitis worsens, the patient needs to take antibiotics. They will prevent the growth of pathogenic flora and prevent its intensive reproduction.

The following antibacterial drugs can be used:

• Flemoxin Solutab, Ampisid, Panklav (penicillin group).
• Sumamed (macrolide group).
• Cefspan (a group of cephalosporins).
• Amikacin (a group of aminoglycosides).

Self-administration of medicines is unacceptable. The doctor should choose the drug, otherwise you can seriously harm your own health.

Penicillin group. Drugs belonging to the group of penicillins can not only alleviate the patient's condition, but also prevent the development of complications that often cause streptococci.

• Flemoxin Solutab. Available in tablet form. The drug is active against streptococci, staphylococci and a number of other bacteria that can cause tonsillitis. For children, the usual dose is 750 mg per day, for adults - 1500 mg per day. Exacerbation of tonsillitis requires long-term use of the drug - at least 10 days. As for the dose, it can be increased depending on the patient's condition and the severity of the disease.
• Ampisides. This medication is available both in tablet form and in powder form for suspension. Ampisides can be found in pricks. The drug has a wide spectrum of action and effectively fights even against bacterial strains that have developed resistance to other antibacterial drugs. The average daily dose for a child is 250 mg, and for adults - up to 2000 mg. Therapy should be continued for 14 days, but no more.

The group of cephalosporins and macrolides. Preparations from the macrolide group prevent the growth and development of pathogenic flora, that is, they have a bacteriostatic effect. They are able to penetrate the cell membrane and infect the bacteria inside them.

Cephalosporins are drugs that can kill bacteria that have developed resistance to antibiotics of the penicillin group.

• Sumamed. This drug has various forms of release: capsules, tablets, powder, granules, lyophilisate. It effectively fights various strains of bacteria, including staphylococci and streptococci. The daily dose for an adult is 0.5 g, for children 10 mg / kg. Take the drug for acute tonsillitis for 3 days.
• Cefspan. This drug can be found in the form of granules and powder for further preparation of injections. The basis of the drug is an antibiotic called Cefixime. It effectively fights bacteria that produce protective enzymes - beta-lactamase. The daily dose for children whose body weight exceeds 50 kg and for adults is 400 mg, and for children weighing less than 50 kg - no more than 120 mg per day. The therapy should be continued for 10 days.

Group of aminoglycosides. Aminoglycosides are a group of antibacterial drugs that can cope with even the most difficult infection, but they have one significant drawback - high toxicity. Therefore, aminoglycosides are prescribed only for the treatment of chronic tonsillitis in the stage of decompensation. Preference should be given to drugs of 3 generations, which have minimal toxicity.

Amikacin is a drug that has one form of release: powder for injection. The drug is used to treat tonsillitis caused by strains of bacteria that have developed resistance to cephalosporins and antibiotics of the penicillin group. The dose is selected by the doctor on an individual basis. During treatment, the functioning of the kidneys, the functioning of the auditory nerve and the vestibular apparatus should be monitored.

Washing the tonsils. During an exacerbation of the disease, doctors recommend to undergo a procedure for washing the tonsils. For this purpose, antiseptics are used: Chlorhexidine, Furacilin, Miramistin. To get rid of staphylococci and streptococci, bacteriophages can be used.

High-quality washing of the tonsils is possible by directing the stream of the drug into the lacunae. With the help of a special apparatus, the doctor can not only wash, but also suck out the pathological contents of the tonsils. As a result, the inflammation quickly passes, the patient's well-being improves. Exacerbations of the disease occur much less frequently.

Tonsil lavage is a procedure that can only be performed by an ENT doctor. At home, it is not available.

Herbal medicine in the treatment of tonsillitis

If tonsillitis has an uncomplicated course, then folk remedies can be used to treat the disease. The simplest of them is gargling and inhaling the vapors of a decoction of medicinal herbs. You can use folk recipes not only during an exacerbation of the disease, but also in remission.

The following medicinal herbs are considered the most effective:

• Yarrow.
• Sage.
• Calendula.
• Chamomile.
• Eucalyptus.

Herbs can be brewed both in herbal teas and separately. As for inhalations, for this purpose, you can use both an ordinary pot, inhaling healing vapors over it, and inhalers.

Treatment of tonsillitis with herbal medicine

Name of funds	Dose	How to cook	How to apply, duration of treatment
Infusion for gargling, recipe 1	Art. l. sage + st. l. yarrow + boiling water (one glass)	The herbs are mixed, poured over with water, insisted for a quarter of an hour, filtered	Gargle 5-7 times a day. The infusion should be warm. After rinsing for an hour, do not eat or drink water. The course of treatment is 3 days
Infusion for gargling, recipe 2	Spoon of calendula + boat of chamomile + boiling water 250 ml	The herb is poured with boiling water, insisted for 20 minutes, filtered	The number of rinses a day is 7 times, about 1.5 hours before meals. You need to be treated for 7 days
Broth for inhalation	Art. l. eucalyptus leaves + sage + chamomile + 2 liters of water	The herbs are mixed, poured over with water and put on fire, boiled for 3 minutes, cooled to 60 ° C	Breathe over the pan, inhaling the vapors through the mouth. The procedure should take about 5 minutes. 1 inhalation is done per day, the full course of treatment is 7 days
Inhalation solution	Art. l. eucalyptus leaves + a glass of boiling water + mineral water (liter)	The plant is poured with boiling water, infused for 15 minutes, non-carbonated mineral water is heated to 60 ° C, mixed with an infusion of eucalyptus leaves	Breathe over the pan for 10 minutes. Do 1 inhalation with a break of one day. The course of treatment consists of 7 procedures

Before you start treating tonsillitis with folk remedies, you need to make sure that there is no allergic reaction to the product used. Otherwise, there is a risk of increased swelling of the tonsil tissue and worsening of the patient's well-being.

Treatment with oils. Virtually all essential oils have antibacterial properties. The following oils can be used to treat tonsillitis:

• Basil.
• Sage.
• Tea tree.
• Eucalyptus.

Inhalation can be done with essential oils, but the dose of oils should be minimal, since all these funds have a potent effect.

To get a healing steam, you need to add only 1 drop of oil per liter of hot water (regardless of which product was chosen). Inhalation should not be deep, you need to breathe through the mouth for 5 minutes. The procedures are carried out every other day. The full course of treatment includes 10 sessions.

The temperature of the water over which inhalation is carried out should not exceed 60 ° C Celsius. Otherwise, you can get a serious burn of the oral mucosa.

To avoid an allergic reaction during the procedure, a test must first be carried out. To do this, a drop of oil is applied to the elbow and left for half an hour. If the skin is very slightly reddened, then the oil is approved for use. If irritation occurs in this place, itching appears, then the oil is not suitable for inhalation.

Rinsing the nose. Rinsing the nose with saline will help reduce the severity of inflammation, as well as partially remove bacterial plaque from the tonsils.

To prepare the solution, you will need a teaspoon of sea salt, which is diluted in a glass of warm water. Water is drawn in one nostril, while the other must be closed. Water that gets inside is spit out through the mouth.

The sensations during the procedure can hardly be called pleasant, but the benefits of washing overwhelm them. Washing should be done 2 times a day until complete recovery.

Operative treatment

The help of a surgeon may be required only as a last resort, when the disease cannot be cope with in other ways, and it acquires a severe course. Only surgical intervention guarantees a complete elimination of tonsillitis, but doctors are extremely reluctant to take such a drastic measure.

The fact is that the tonsils are important organs of the immune system, they help protect the body from allergens and infectious agents, in addition, they produce useful macrophages and lymphocytes. If the tonsils are removed, the body will be partially devoid of protection, which will contribute to the weakening of local immunity.

Therefore, you should not strive at all costs to remove the tonsils. You need to make every effort to cope with tonsillitis with conservative therapy. If the treatment is built correctly, then the quality of life of a person will significantly increase, and after a while he will completely forget about relapses of the disease.

The author of the article: Lazarev Oleg Vladimirovich | ENT

Education: In 2009, he received a diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" at the Petrozavodsk State University. After completing an internship at the Murmansk Regional Clinical Hospital, he received a diploma in Otorhinolaryngology (2010)