Tonsillitis is accompanied by annoying symptoms such as sore throat, difficulty swallowing and irritated mucous membranes in the throat. Simple home remedies for tonsillitis can usually alleviate mild symptoms well, so that many patients do not even need to go to the doctor.
Home remedies can at best supplement, but not replace, conventional medical treatment in the case of purulent tonsillitis. It belongs in medical treatment because of threatening secondary diseases! Talk to your doctor about how you can best support the therapy yourself.
In the case of a purulent tonsillitis, the adenoids are covered with pus. This manifests itself with white-yellow spots in the throat. If you suspect purulent tonsillitis, see your family doctor.
Throat compresses against tonsillitis
What to do for tonsillitis? The sore throat and difficulty swallowing can often be relieved with a throat wrap.
Warm throat compress
Carefully place the hot cotton cloth on the neck, but save the spine. Let the wrap work for tonsillitis for about 20-30 minutes. After that, dry the neck well and rest. You can apply a hot throat compress twice a day.
Cold throat compress
If the patient prefers and does not shiver or freeze, you can also apply a cool neck wrap according to Prießnitz. To do this, place a cloth in cold water (10 to 18 degrees), wring it out and place it around the neck. Leave out the spine. Cover the wrap with a dry cloth and let it work for at least half an hour. After removing the wrap, protect the neck from cold. The cold neck wrap can be used as a home remedy for tonsillitis once a day.
Tonsillitis: drink tea
The following herbal home remedies for tonsillitis are popular and often used successfully:
- Sage
- Chamomile
- Calendula
- Myrrh
- Capeland pelargonium
- Lime blossom
- Ribwort
- Icelandic moss
- Thyme
- American coneflower (Echinacea)
- Tree of life (Thuja occidentalis)
- Dyer’s pod (Baptisia australis)
Gargle
What else helps with tonsillitis? Gargle! This moistens the mucous membrane of the throat and has an antibacterial or anti-inflammatory effect, depending on the additive.
Make your own gargle solution
To make a simple gargle solution as a home remedy for tonsillitis, mix a glass of lukewarm water with either
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar,
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or
- 1 tsp. sea salt.
Stir well and gargle thoroughly with it. You can repeat the procedure several times a day as needed.
Gargling with tea
Cooled medicinal herbal teas are also suitable for gargling. For sore throat and tonsillitis, these are teas made from:
- Chamomile
- Marshmallow
- oak bark
- Ribwort
- Mallow
- Marigold or
- Sage
You can read how to prepare the respective tea in the corresponding medicinal plants article.
Inhalation
Inhalation can loosen mucus from the upper respiratory tract and inhibit local inflammation in the nasopharynx. In addition, inhalation moistens irritated mucous membranes. This can be beneficial for tonsillitis.
Various additives such as salt, chamomile flowers or essential oils can enhance the effect.
You can read about which additives are suitable in the article Inhalation.
What to eat for tonsillitis?
Soft foods: Patients with tonsillitis tend to prefer soft foods with little seasoning. The affected person can usually eat these even if he or she has difficulty swallowing.
Sucking candy: Nonmedicated lozenges (such as sage candies) can also be used to relieve pain and a scratchy feeling in the throat. The candies stimulate saliva production. The saliva wets the inflamed palatine tonsils more and thus relieves the pain.
Honey milk: Warm a glass or cup of milk and dissolve a teaspoon of honey in it. Drink the honey milk in small sips before going to bed.
Ice cream: Children in particular are often given ice cream to eat when they have tonsillitis. This relieves the pain for a short time, but the cold also reduces the blood flow and thus possibly stops the healing process. If the pain is severe, cool but not cold foods (for example, yogurt) are better.
Even for a child with tonsillitis, some home remedies are suitable. However, when using throat compresses, you should check the temperature on the back of your own hand or neck beforehand.
Most medicinal herbal teas are also suitable for children. If the little ones do not like the taste of sage tea, you can also make your offspring a chamomile tea. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and tastes milder.
Gargling and inhaling are not yet possible for small children. For older children, parents should always be present when using these home remedies. When gargling, children can easily choke, and when inhaling, there is a risk of burns if the hot water is mishandled.
To moisten the irritated throat and soothe the pain, candies (with sage, for example) or a lukewarm honey milk are better choices. Honey milk also has a mild expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect.
Children under one year of age should not consume honey. It may contain bacterial toxins that are life-threatening for them.
General tips for tonsillitis
Drink plenty of fluids: The mucous membranes of the throat are often red, irritated and painful during tonsillitis. Therefore, keep the mucous membranes moist by drinking enough. Cold drinks have a pain-relieving effect, but at the same time reduce blood flow. Warm drinks (tea, honey milk, hot lemon) are therefore better for the healing process.
Home remedies have limits. If the symptoms persist for a long time, do not improve or even get worse despite treatment, you should always consult a doctor. It is not advisable to use home remedies against severe purulent tonsillitis and not seek medical treatment. If fever occurs during tonsillitis, you should consult your family doctor.
