Tonsillitis – fight it with food

 

 

Some people have issues with their tonsils, luckily, I am not one of them. One of my BFF’s Erin, however, is. She reached out to me today to ask if I knew what she could try to do ~ I’m assuming naturally ~ so this post is for her (and you all).

A few facts you may want to know…..

·         Tonsils are part of your infection fighting body parts

·         These balls of tissue fight off bacterial & viral infections before your respiratory tract/body is infiltrated

·         From time-to-time tonsils succumb to infection

·         Infected tonsils become enflamed, swollen and possibly coated in spots

·         Tonsillitis can be acute and can also recur – becoming cronic

·         Surgery should be a last resort

I believe, that in most cases, a tonsil infection can be relieved with self-care and home remedies.

Symptoms…..

·         Swollen/spotty tonsils/difficulty swallowing

·         Grey/yellow coating on tonsils

·         Reddening/inflammation

·         Swollen lymph nodes

·         Ear pain/headache

·         Fever/chills

·         Bad breath/strep throat/sore throat/loss of voice

·         Nausea/vomiting/stomach pain

 

Foodborne causes of tonsillitis:

·         Food allergies

·         Additives/preservatives

·         Cold drinks/ice/ice cream

·         Sugar/Fat/processed foods

Some home remedies for Tonsillitis:

·         Fresh lime juice in warm water with honey & salt:

1 cup hot water, juice of 1 lime, 1 tbsp honey, ½ tbsp. salt

·         Turmeric & black pepper

Mix 1 cup almond milk, pinch turmeric powder, black pepper powder drink each night before bed for 3 nights.

·         Chamomile tea with lemon & honey:

1 cup tea, juice of ½ lemon, 1 tbsp honey

·         Immunity juices:

Beetroot, carrot & cucumber – drink it all day, for a week – seriously, have at least 1 per day. **It is actually suggested to go “all liquid” for a few days if you have tonsil issues. After juicing, move to an all fruit diet for 2-3 days. Re-introduce food slowly. Avoid sugar, spices, dairy, fried foods and caffeine.**

·         Alum powder:

Gargle with alum powder & warm water

Tonsillitis is a self-limiting condition and tends to resolve itself, using home remedies for pain relief is the logical option. However, if you have tried treating tonsillitis at home and the pain has not reduced at all after a few days, consult your doctor for a course of medication. Tonsillitis caused by bacterial infections requires a course of antibiotics that your doctor can prescribe. Chronic tonsillitis may not respond well to home remedies and may require more drastic measures such as surgery or tonsillectomy.

 

1.     Aggarwal BB, Sundaram C, Malani N, Ichikawa H. Curcumin: the Indian solid gold. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007;595:1-75. Review. PubMed PMID: 17569205.