Tonsillitis - Treatment

Treatment for tonsillitis depends on the agent that caused the infection. If the infection is bacterial, antibiotics can help cure the disease. If the infection is viral, there are no drugs that will cure the disease.

Most doctors will recommend treatments designed to keep a patient comfortable while the disease runs its course. These treatments include bed rest, drinking extra fluids, gargling with warm salt water, and taking pain relievers to reduce fever. Eating frozen juice bars or drinking either cold fruit drinks or warm tea or broth can also bring some relief of sore throat pain.

In many cases, doctors decide to treat tonsillitis with surgery. This treatment may be recommended for children who have severe cases of tonsillitis more than once. In a tonsillectomy, the tonsils are surgically removed.

Alternative Treatment

Alternative practitioners recommend a variety of natural products for the treatment of tonsillitis. These products include dietary supplements, such as vitamin C and beta-carotenes, and certain herbal remedies. The herbs that are suggested include calendula, cleavers, echinacea, astragalus, goldenseal, myrrh, bitter orange, Lomatium dissectum, and Ligusticum porteri. Some of these

In a tonsillectomy, the tonsils are surgically removed. This treatment may be recommended for children who have severe cases of tonsillitis more than once. (Reproduced by permission of

Electronic Illustrators Group

)

herbs are thought to strengthen the immune system. Others are believed to kill bacteria or viruses.

Some homeopathic remedies suggested for tonsillitis include Belladonna, Phytolacca, Mercurius, Lycopodium, Lachesis, Hepar sulphuris, Arsenicum, and Rhus toxicodendron.