What allopathy has to offer

• For acute infection : Antiinflammatory, antibiotics, antiseptics.
• For relief of pain : Analgesics.
• For allergic conditions : Antihistamine drugs.

The above methodology of drugs are prescribed to manage the situation or condition. In course of time, the disease becomes resistant to antibiotics or any medicines. Also, after stopping the medication the infection may come back with complications.

Antibiotics will have no effect against viral tonsillitis which occurs commonly with common cold. So, patients suffer with viral tonsillitis without treatment.

Surgery as a last resort

To reduce recurrent infection in tonsils they are removed. The procedure of removing tonsils from the throat is called a tonsillectomy. It simply frees the airway or swallowing obstruction due to swollen tonsils, but does not guarantee the stoppage of the infection which recurs and spreads inwards.

Before the age of 15, tonsil removal should be strictly avoided since it plays a mojor role in the immunity of the children and may provoke serious complications if removed. But, after that, if the condition is absolutely necessary i.e. mass is huge in size and fibrosed, obstructing the passage of digestion or respiration and does not respond to medicines, it is better to go in for surgery than treating for the sake of easing the deglutition and freeing respiration, as quoted by the surgeons and allopaths.

Homeopathic treatment and approach

Enlarged tonsils or tonsillitis is not a pure surgical complaint. It can be cured in 80 to 90 percent of cases with systematic homeopathic treatment. In allopathy itselft there is a lot of controversy in doing surgery and removing the tonsils. But as the disease becomes resistant to antibiotics and not knowing what else to do, the allopaths deviate to surgery.

Homeopathy treatment for enlarged tonsils or tonsillitis follows Nature's rule, so it never admits to removal as a cure. It targets healing as making healthy, not removing. If you are going to remove the tonsils, it is just like removing the guards who often get attacked by burglars while safeguarding us, which I think is not wise. If you are going to switch off or remove the red light, it won't raise an alarm in future to warn you.

Regarding treatment, betterment is important, not the system of medicine. Treatment can be availed of from any system of medicine, in any way, which may ease and comfort the living without any future side effects.

Homeoapthy is the finger-post on the cross roads of healing which directs the way to safe and permanent cure. Homeopathic medicines have no side effects. It comforts modern living. Homeopathy deals more with patients than diseases. It never focuses on the so-called causative factors, viruses and bacteria, but focuses on raising the vitality or immunity against these viruses and bacteria. This raises our resistance giving no chance for recurrence due to re-infection by the bacteria or viruses.

The earlier you treat tonsils with homeopathy the speedier and more complete will be the cure. In this natural way of healing, the immune power is increased against the disease process, so that the problem of enlarged tonsils and tonsillitis is dealt with permanently.

In homeopathy treatment of tonsillitis or enlarged tonsils, medicines are usually selected keeping in mind the mode of onset and character of disease, exciting cause, thirst, sweat, shivering, mental restlessness, characteristic symptoms of patient, appetite, sleep and stool habit. A well selected homeopathic remedy quickly supports the body mechanism and clears the complaints at the earliest.

There are 296 homoeopathy medicines which give great relief in enlarged tonsils and tonsillitis. However, the correct choice and the resulting relief is a matter of experience and right judgment on the part of the homeopathic doctor. The treatment is decided after thorough case taking of the patient. Thus homeopathic remedies of tonsillitis and enlarged tonsils are tailor made unlike allopathy in which all patients receive the same drugs i.e. although trade name may be different.

For total cure the homeopathic treatment must be taken seriously for about 16 to 20 months depending upon the severity of tonsillitis or enlarged tonsils.

For online homeopathic treatment of enlarged tonsils and tonsillitis, you may e-mail us on dr_ramanand@rediffmail.com

Enlarged tonsils are a concern in young children as they can be a major source of recurrent infections like sore throat, middle ear infections (otitis media), sinusitis and so on. This can majorly affect the health and growth of children in more than one way.

Homeopathy offers a very safe and effective way to cure enlarged tonsils and can save the little ones from the surgeon's knife. Homeopathic treatment has always stood by the view that whenever possible the tonsils should be saved as they are an important defense tissue of our body and provide the children with the much required immunity.

The tonsils consist of two glandular tissues similar to hundreds of other lymph glands in the human body, present on either side of the back side of the throat. They are normal body organs just like lungs, eyes, nose. Tonsils are visible just behind the tongue, when the mouth is opened. They may vary in size. They are soft to touch and may either be bright red or pink-grayish in color.

What do tonsils serve?

Nature never puts anything as a waste nor does a thing useless. Till now we know the functions of tonsils as:

• Tonsils monitor the quality of air, food and water which enter our body.
• Tonsils play a mojor role in body immunity mechanism and antibody reaction mostly in childhood.
• Tonsils are helpful in forming lymphocytes (white blood cells) which protect our body as a defence mechanism.
• Tonsils become as red, swollen, inflammed man (danger light) indicating any infection entering our body.
• Tonsils trap the germs that enter the body by its antibodies and drains it into the lymph node for elimination.
• Tonsils are also supposed to kill bacteria that enter into the tonsils through the blood stream.

However, it is not implied that the inflamed tonsil does not need treatment. They do need treatment with a scientific attitude. They need to be treated but not to be necessarily removed! Compare them again with the soldiers fighting at the battle field, who need special care but not removal from the battle field unless they are seriously injured or incapable of doing their job!

If we ingnore the red light of tonsil, the infection might spread in the throat, mouth, sinuses and upper respiratory tract. If we delay, the infection spreads further to lower respiratory tract (lungs), digestive tract and other parts of the body (joints, heart and so on). With repeated attacks of infection, the tonsils may get fibrosis and scarred and lose its protective function.

The inflammation of the tonsil is called tonsillitis. The infected tonsils become red and swollen, to work better to trap or stop the disease force - bacteria or virus. They also get coated (either partly or entirely) with yellow, grey, or white substance, depending upon the type of infection and pus formation. Tonsillitis begin with a sudden sore throat and painful swallowing. The tonsils infection is common in childhood and teenagers but rare in adults.

• Bacteria or viral infection : Bacteria, specifically beta-hemolytic streptococci, is the main offender. Virus can also cause tonsillitis. The source of infection may be food or water or droplet infection from coughing or mucus secretions of an infected person. Bacteria or viruses tend to flourish in crowded areas and hence patients who are prone to tonsillitis can easily catch the infection in schools, parks, theatres and so on.
• Tonsillitis also occurs as an allergic reaction to allergens, for example pollens, cold things, food preservatives, drugs, mechanical injury and so on. Common food articles that can trigger tonsillitis are artificially colored sweets, sour fruits, bananas, preservatives added to certain drinks, cold food or drinks, ice creams and so on.
• Environmental factors that may trigger an attack of tonsillitis are exposure to excessive cold weather, damp climate or change of weather.
• Genetic tendency : Recurrent tonsillitis is frequent in patients whose parents have also suffered from the same condition during childhood or adolescence.
• In patients with auto-immune disorders, who suffer from immuno deficiency, tonsillitis may occur due to multiple infections. For example in patients of HIV, psoriasis, SLE and so on.

• Acute tonsillitis : Sudden onset inflammation that lasts for about 4 to 6 days. Commonly affects children of ages 5 to 10.
• Chronic tonsillitis occurs when there is recurrent infection. The tonsils remain infected and do not respond to treatment. They are usually a complicated form which are seen in maltreated or untreated children and teenagers.

Symptoms of tonsillitis (enlarged tonsils) differ from patient to patient depending upon the size and involvement of sides (single or both) :

• Red, swollen tonsils - felt or visualized as a lump in throat.
• Sore throat : Pain in throat is the most common presentation. However, young babies may not present with pain but may present with inability to eat.
• Dysphagia, that is, difficulty swallowing. This may either be due to pain or due to huge increase in the size of the tonsils due to frequent inflammation.
• Difficulty in breathing : Due to the blockage of airway by enlarged tonsil. This may lead to snoring, mouth breathing and restlessness at night due to sleep apnea (large pauses between 2 breaths). Sleep apnea, a disturbed sleep disorder may occur due to an obstruction to the air passage due to heavily enlarged tonsils. However, it is interesting to note that most children with sleep apnea do not recover of this disorder after the removal of the tonsils.
• Due to sleeplessness at night, there will be excessive tiredness in daytime.
• Fever : Acute infection of the tonsils may present with moderate to high rise in body temperature. In case of septic foci on the tonsils, there may be fever with chills.
• Excess salivation and dribbling of saliva, often with bad breath (halitosis).
• Earache due to infection and pus formation.
• White spots or yellow or gray coating over the tonsils.
• Painful or painless lymph node enlargement below the angle of lower jaw.
• General symptoms : General fatigue, loss of appetite, low energy level, headache, constipation.
• Recurrent or repeated attacks of cold and cough.

• CSOM : Chronic suppurative otits media (ear infection).
• Quinsy.
• Obstruction causing choking.
• Headache with sinusitis.
• Rheumatism and heart strain.

• Clinical examination : A thorough examination of the tonsil and pharynx has to be done for evaluating the tonsil enlargement and inflammation.
• Culture and sensitivity test.
• Blood tests : Leucocytes and ESR will be high.
• In suspected cases, biopsy has to be done to rule out diphtheria and so on.

• A saltwater gargle can relieve soreness. Dissolve 1/2 tsp salt in a glass of warm water and gargle as needed to ease pain.