5 Home Remedies for Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils that usually happens because of a bacterial or viral infection. For this reason, treatment should always be guided by a general practitioner or otorhinolaryngologist, since it may be necessary to use antibiotics, which can only be purchased with a prescription.

The home remedies indicated only help to relieve symptoms and speed recovery and should not be used as a substitute for proper medical guidance, especially when the sore throat is very severe, pus in the throat is accompanied by fever or the symptoms do not improve after 3 days.

Better understand which signs may indicate tonsillitis and how clinical treatment is performed.

1. Gargle with warm water and salt

Salt is a known natural antimicrobial, that is, it is capable of eliminating various types of microorganisms. This means that when you gargle with salt, you can eliminate the excess bacteria that may be causing the infection in your tonsils.

The temperature of the water is also important, as using very hot or cold water can make the sore throat worse.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of salt, ½ glass of warm water.

How to use

Mix the salt in the glass of water until the salt completely dissolves and the mixture is transparent. Then put one or two sips in your mouth and, tilting your head back, gargle for about 30 seconds. Finally, pour the water out and repeat until the end of the mixture.

This technique is widely used to quickly reduce pain and can be done up to 4 or 5 times a day.

2. Intake of peppermint oil

Peppermint essential oil has several health benefits, including its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral action. Thus, this oil can be a strong ally in the treatment of tonsillitis, as it will help reduce inflammation and relieve pain, in addition to eliminating excess viruses and bacteria that may be causing the infection.

However, to ingest this oil it is very important to dilute it in another vegetable oil, such as olive oil or coconut oil, for example, to avoid causing some kind of burn in the esophagus. Ideally, essential oils should only be ingested under the guidance of a professional in the field, as not all can be ingested safely.

Ingredients

2 drops of peppermint essential oil, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (olive oil, coconut oil or sweet almonds).

How to use

Mix the essential oil in the vegetable oil spoon and then ingest. This home remedy can be used up to 2 times a day. Higher doses should be avoided, as the excessive use of this oil can cause toxic effects.

Since it needs to be ingested, it is also important to choose an essential oil of biological origin and cold pressed, to reduce the chances of being ingesting some type of chemical product.

3. Chew a slice of garlic

Chewing a slice of garlic is another very effective homemade way to help treat tonsillitis, as garlic, when chewed, releases a substance, known as allicin, which has a strong antimicrobial action, which helps to fight various types of infections.

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic.

Method of preparation

Peel the clove of garlic and then cut a piece. Put in your mouth and suck or chew to release the juice that is rich in allicin.

Since chewing garlic leaves bad breath, you can wash your teeth next, to disguise the smell of garlic. Another option is also to add raw garlic to the diet.

4. Gargle with bicarbonate

Another very effective gargle for tonsillitis is gargling with warm water and baking soda. That's because, bicarbonate also has great antimicrobial action that helps clear your throat and help treat the infection.

In fact, bicarbonate can also be used together with salt, to obtain an even stronger action.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon of baking soda, ½ cup of warm water.

Method of preparation

Mix the baking soda in the water and then put a sip in your mouth. Tilt your head back and gargle. Finally, pour the water out and repeat until the end.

This technique can be used several times a day or every 3 hours, for example.

5. Fenugreek tea

Fenugreek seeds have an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory action that can help a lot in relieving the pain of tonsillitis, since they calm the irritation of the tonsils while eliminating the excess of viruses and bacteria.

Although it is a widely used natural remedy, fenugreek tea should be avoided by pregnant women.

Ingredients

1 cup of water; 1 tablespoon of fenugreek seeds.

How to use

Add the fenugreek seeds to the water in a saucepan and bring to medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Then strain, let it warm and drink 2 to 3 times a day.