When your throat is scratchy: home remedies for tonsillitis

Home remedies for tonsillitis can help relieve swallowing difficulties and speed up healing. However, you should definitely see a doctor, especially if you have purulent tonsillitis.

Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils. Their job is to protect the upper respiratory tract from bacteria and viruses. Sometimes this can lead to a kind of overload – often due to cold or flu viruses – and inflammation of the tissue occurs.

Symptoms of tonsillitis may include sore throat, swollen tonsils, difficulty swallowing, and fever.

Especially at the beginning of tonsillitis, home remedies can help to relieve your symptoms and ease the course of the disease. In this article, we present you with a selection of proven effective home remedies that you can try to support your quick recovery.

Detect tonsillitis early

Basically, the earlier you recognize the symptoms of tonsillitis, the better the home remedies mentioned in this article can help you recover. Even if you have a mild sore throat or oppressive or stabbing difficulty swallowing, you should react and use the tips mentioned here immediately to relieve the inflammation or, in the best case, even prevent it.

If you also feel weak and powerless or have a fever, make sure you give yourself some rest, get plenty of sleep and drink enough.

Note: Home remedies can relieve symptoms, but the success of their use is very individual and they do not automatically replace medical treatment. If your symptoms do not improve or even get worse after three days, Netdoktor advises you to see a doctor – especially if your fever does not subside, you have severe pain or breathing problems, or if you notice pus on your tonsils.

How do you recognize pus on your tonsils? It is best to look at your swollen tonsils in the mirror: If they continue to grow despite the home remedies you have used or if you even see yellow or white spots on your tonsils, it is purulent tonsillitis and you should definitely seek advice from a doctor.

Home remedies for tonsillitis: gargling relieves pain

There are various causes of a sore throat. One of these can be inflamed tonsils. You can relieve the pain with various anti-inflammatory home remedies, especially in the first few days.

Home remedies for tonsillitis

As soon as you feel a scratchy or tight throat, you can start gargling several times a day. Cold or lukewarm herbal teas and salt water are best for this. According to Netdoktor and the Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse (AOK), gargling with the following remedies can help relieve pain and have both a disinfectant and anti-inflammatory effect:

• Sage tea has an antibacterial effect and soothes the mucous membranes.

• Chamomile tea relieves pain and kills bacteria.

• Freshly brewed ginger tea disinfects. Tip: If you boil fresh ginger in a pot of water for about 20 minutes, the tea will be much stronger than if you just brew it in a cup of water. However, let the tea cool down to drinking temperature before gargling so as not to irritate your throat unnecessarily.

• Salt water: Dissolve some salt in lukewarm water and gargle several times a day to moisten the mucous membranes.

Of course, you can also drink the tea as long as your swallowing difficulties allow it. Drinking enough water is important for the body, and the ingredients – especially those in ginger – can strengthen the immune system. To make the taste milder and support the anti-inflammatory effect, you can add a teaspoon of honey.

Tip: Brushing your teeth frequently can also help fight the bacteria. You should also clean the inside of your cheeks and your tongue each time.

Garlic for tonsillitis?

According to a study, garlic can also be effective against tonsillitis because it is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. However, in the studies conducted so far, the test subjects were given preparations containing garlic extract. The studies do not reveal to what extent pure garlic helps against tonsillitis.

Read more on Techzle\.com:

• Cold? These 6 herbal home remedies help with colds
• Collecting, identifying and eating wild herbs: 11 tips
• Preventing colds: How to stay healthy

Edited by Freya Petersen

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