The tonsils, located in the back of the throat, are responsible for collecting bacteria and for producing lymph, which creates disease-fighting antibodies. When the tonsils get infected and swell up, tonsillitis develops. When this takes place, the throat becomes sore, the lymph nodes on the sides of the neck swell up and a fever is present. There are several ways to treat tonsillitis once it takes hold.
Antibiotics
When a bacterial infection causes tonsillitis, doctors prescribe antibiotics. The patient takes them for 10 days or longer, depending on the severity of the condition and the strength of the drugs. Although this treatment brings relief within a couple days, the patient must take the entire prescription, as the infection still has a chance to come back. A couple examples of medications are penicillin and erythromycin.
In certain situations, the throat may be too swollen to swallow pills. In these cases, a doctor may inject the antibiotics instead. Steroids are also sometimes injected to bring down the swelling.
Reduction
When a viral infection causes tonsillitis, a doctor may recommend over-the-counter drugs. These are designed to reduce pain and bring down the fever that also takes place. Examples of these medications include Advil, Motrin and Tylenol. These treatments are used to alleviate the symptoms while the infection runs its course through the body.
Tonsillectomy
When no other treatments are working, a surgeon can remove the tonsils in a procedure called a "tonsillectomy." This is generally used only with children, and there are certain conditions that need to be present first. According to the Mayo Clinic, seven or more serious throat infections have to have taken place over a year, five or more serious throat infections have to have taken place every year over a 2-year period, or three or more serious throat infections have to have taken place every year over a 3-year period. Tonsillectomies are outpatient procedures, and it usually takes about 2 weeks to recover.
Home Treatments
You can also take several measures at home to reduce the pain in the throat that comes with tonsillitis. Mix some honey and lemon in a glass of warm water to help reduce mucus and soothe the throat. Use a humidifier to moisten the air in your bedroom to get a better night's sleep and reduce throat irritation. Avoid talking to reduce your chances of getting laryngitis, which can make you lose your voice. Utilize hard candies and lozenges to cleanse your throat by stimulating saliva.
