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Tonsillitis
Overview:
The tonsils are partially responsible for protecting us from foreign matter in our bodies. They exert their influence most strongly in the childhood years, taking in any foreign material that threatens the body. This also leaves them highly vulnerable to infection during this period of life, and the resulting condition is called tonsillitis. As the child ages, the role of the tonsils becomes less prominent in the immune system, and tonsillitis decreases in frequency.
Signs and Symptoms:
Tonsillitis is a highly infectious inflammation of the tonsils accompanied by:
* Fever
* Very sore throat with red, swollen tonsils and white discharge or spots on the tonsils
* Swollen and tender lymph nodes in the neck under the jaw
* Dry cough
* Headache and stomach ache are often present
* Severe pain at the roof of the mouth, and difficulty swallowing
* Muffled speech
* Snoring
Causes and Organs Affected:
The infection is usually due to a virus or the Streptococcus bacterium.
Recurrent episodes of tonsillitis indicate that the body's resistance is weakened.
Food allergies, particularly to dairy products are also associated with recurrent tonsillitis.
Risk Factor:
* Being a child. Tonsillitis is especially common in school-age children.
* Contact with others. Like the germs that cause colds or the flu, viruses and bacteria that cause tonsillitis tend to get passed on in places such as schools and child care facilities, where people are in close contact.
Treatment:
If you or your child are experiencing ongoing problems with tonsillitis, try avoiding dairy foods for a period of 1-2 months. Dairy allergy has commonly been found to contribute to recurrent throat infection.
Eliminate all sources of concentrated simple sugars (sugar, honey, fruit juice) from the diet and instead base your diet on complex carbohydrates such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
Use an Echinacea, Andrographis or vitamin C supplement to help improve resistance to infection.
Other Information:
Gargling with salty water or sage herbal tea several times a day helps to relieve sore throat and hoarseness.
Get lots of rest and maintain a high fluid intake.