Pultaceous Tonsillitis: Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Index

It is an inflammation of the tonsils caused by a virus or a bacterial infection.

The tonsils are two small oval pads located in your throat, which have the important job of preventing bacteria and pathogens from invading the body once they enter through the mouth.

Surgery to remove at least part of the tonsils (called tonsillectomy ) is one of the most common procedures during childhood.

Putaceous tonsillitis can develop depending on the severity of the inflammation and the type of pathogen. A flu-like infection that often causes tonsillitis is usually caused by bacteria.

Once viruses have damaged the mucous membranes, bacteria can also establish themselves on them. This often leads to yellow spots on the palatine tonsils, which has led to pleural tonsillitis.

Places tonsillitis can be caused by viruses and infections “bacterial” in nature. Most cases of tonsillitis are caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, a type of bacterial pathogen.

For decades, treatment for a sore throat and tonsillitis focused on antibiotics, including penicillin. However, this approach does not always work in the long term to solve the underlying problem, especially if the cause is viral, and it can also have some unwanted side effects.

All kinds of bacteria, viruses, and fungi are present in the throat, including within the tonsils, which belong to the healthy microflora that live within the body.

Billions of bacteria populate every part of the body, especially the intestine, but usually, these bacteria do not cause any harm.

We need certain microbes to help with immune responses, digestion, nutrient absorption, weight management, and hormonal balance (the kind of bacteria we often call probiotics).

The body doesn’t even respond negatively to all the potentially harmful bacteria present as long as they don’t start to reproduce quickly.

For example, studies show that about 10 percent of healthy children have Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria present on their tonsils at all times, but they have no health consequences yet.

The problem begins when the “bad bacteria” multiply and outnumber the beneficial bacteria, leading to infections that can cause pain, swelling, and disease-causing inflammation.

The best approach to treating tonsillitis is to prevent inflammation from occurring in the first place or getting worse while also boosting your immune function through a healthy diet, taking antiviral herbs, and avoiding anything that puts more stress on your body.

One of the most important reasons to avoid a tonsillectomy is that your tonsils are crucial elements in keeping you from getting sick; removing the tissue inside your throat that captures pathogens means there is likely more in your system.

Symptoms of Pultaceous Tonsillitis

Common signs and symptoms of tonsillitis include:

Painful swollen tonsils.
Throat pain.
Difficulty swallowing normally.
Tender lymph nodes on the sides of the throat and neck (which can usually be felt if pressure is applied to this area).
Redness surrounding the tonsils and throat.
Fever or chills
White or yellow coating on the tonsils.
Painful blisters or ulcers in the throat.
Changes in the ability to speak, loss of voice.
Headaches.
Loss of appetite, nausea, or vomiting.
Pain in the ears and neck.
Bad breath.

Causes

Tonsils are considered “gatekeepers” as they are part of the immune system, specifically the lymphatic system, and are made up of tissue that acts as a natural filter for germs.

The tonsils are one of our first lines of defense since they usually trap germs (bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.) that enter the mouth or nose and threaten the immune system.

They are responsible for dealing with threatening pathogens shortly after they enter the body, preventing them from traveling further into the body and causing infections.

The production of antibodies that fight germs is one of the essential functions of the tonsils, as these white blood cells attack bacteria that are considered dangerous.

Only a portion of the tonsils can be seen when someone opens their mouth, but other parts are located above the roof of the throat and as far back as the base of the tongue.

Together, the different parts of the tonsils form a ring where the mouth and nasal cavity meet the throat (the tonsil ring), which is the perfect place to intercept viruses or bacteria.

Because they always contact foreign particles, the tonsils are often swollen and enlarged, but this is not always a problem.

However, when there is an influx of bacteria or other germs, the tonsils become overloaded, inflamed, and infected. This causes tonsillitis, which is accompanied by swelling, pain, tenderness, and other symptoms common with infections.

How is paleaceous tonsillitis diagnosed and treated?

The diagnosis of acute tonsillitis should come from a doctor, who will likely look at the tonsils and perform a smear test (also called a rapid strep test) to detect the presence of bacteria.

Tonsillitis can be challenging to distinguish from other viral or bacterial infections within the throat, such as a cold or flu, so don’t assume tonsillitis is the cause of the pain right away.

Most cases of swollen tonsils do not require antibiotics and can be cured with time. One of the problems with diagnosing tonsillitis is that bacteria are not always the cause, and viral infections do not show up on a smear test.

If the bacteria test is negative, but all symptoms of tonsillitis are present, your doctor will likely still diagnose tonsillitis.

The next step is to treat the condition properly, for example, not prescribing antibiotics if a virus is to blame, as antibiotics do not kill viral infections!

With pultaceous or bacterial tonsillitis, you may need to take antibiotics. This is because some of the bacterial candidates for the pathogen are extremely dangerous and can also spread to other organs.

It may be necessary to remove the tonsils with recurrent tonsillitis (tonsillectomy). Previously, such tonsil operations were performed frequently. Meanwhile, we know that the tonsils have an essential function and are only removed if necessary.

If the infection is viral, you need to fight it naturally, and even if it is bacteria to blame, you can treat it without the inference of antibiotics. You can naturally improve your recovery time and help prevent future infections by following the tips below.

Four natural remedies for putaceous tonsillitis

Get enough rest

When your body is under stress, it takes a lot of downtimes to help speed healing. Prioritize getting a good night’s sleep (at least seven to nine hours a night), take a break from the gym, or go through your regular exercise routine for a few days and do what you can to reduce stress.

Any unwanted stress takes the limited energy out of your body, which you want to use to improve quickly.

Treat Painful Throat Symptoms Naturally

An inflamed sore throat is very common in people with tonsillitis, so ease the pain by doing what you can at home before turning to prescriptions or even over-the-counter pain relievers. Try drinking lukewarm water to help ease throat discomfort.

Some people also prefer to suck on ice or drink icy liquids to relieve swelling, so it is a matter of preference.

Since you are likely to have trouble swallowing, try eating soft, bland foods like vegetable juices, fruit smoothies, raw applesauce or mashed potatoes, soup (if it’s not too irritating), and yogurt, for example.

Drink plenty of fluids to clean your system and stay hydrated, but be careful around anything irritating, such as hot liquids, sugary or acidic drinks, or carbonated drinks.

It also helps to gargle with warm salt water or suck on soothing lozenges, such as natural ones that contain numbing ingredients like fennel or licorice.

Licorice root has been used to help treat sore or inflamed throats for centuries, and studies show that it effectively reduces pain when added to a water gargle solution.

Gargling often with warm salt water is a good option for eight years old or older. You can make your simple mix at home by combining one teaspoon of salt (five grams) with eight fluid ounces (240 milliliters) of warm water.

Finally, don’t forget that raw honey is an ancient treatment for sore throat problems. Raw honey can be mixed with cinnamon or ginger and water or combined with calming herbal tea.

Some studies have found that honey has natural inhibitory effects on around 60 different species of bacteria and some species of fungi and viruses. It can help treat pain and other symptoms of infection within the respiratory tract, as well as act as cough medicine.

Raw honey is also great for speeding up healing, as it naturally contains antibacterial and antiviral properties.

If you’re still in a lot of pain, be careful to take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, which can help you sleep and control excess swelling.

Many are not safe for young children and contain active or additional ingredients that will not help solve the problem. Don’t use antiseptic, decongestant, and antihistamine mouthwashes, which don’t fight the causes of tonsillitis and could even end up causing more pain.

Try using a vaporizer or humidifier.

Vaporizers and humidifiers help moisten dry indoor air, relieving discomfort and pain in the mouth and throat caused by constantly breathing treated indoor air.

This is especially true in the winter months when we cannot spend as much time outdoors, exposed to fresh air.

The cleaner the air you breathe, the less swollen your airways will feel, and the faster your body will recover from an infection.

Help your immune system get more robust.

The better you take care of yourself in general, the less likely you are to get infections of any kind. One of the best ways to prevent diseases and inflammations from occurring anywhere in the body is to eat a nutrient-rich diet that promotes a robust immune system.

A diet based on anti-inflammatory foods helps maintain circulation, allowing the immune system to respond effectively to perceived threats and carry bacteria or viruses out of the body quickly.

Focus on eating a nutrient-dense diet, which means fewer toxins and chemicals enter your body and pressure your lymphatic system.

Foods to avoid for optimal immunity include anything that disrupts your digestive, circulatory, and immune systems, such as:

Common allergens such as dairy products, gluten, soy, and shellfish.
Low-quality animal products.
Crops are heavily sprayed with pesticides.
Refined vegetable oils.
Processed foods that contain chemical toxins, preservatives, and artificial ingredients.
High-sugar packaged snacks made with fine and blanched grains.

Supply your body with much-needed nutrients and antioxidants, including:

Green leafy vegetables (and other colorful products).
Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.).
Berries
Omega-3 foods, such as salmon and wild seafood.
Nuts and seeds (chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, etc.).
Unrefined oils (such as extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil).
Herbs and spices (raw honey, ginger, turmeric, garlic, for example).

Certain supplements and essential oils can also be beneficial in reducing inflammation in the lymph nodes, including the tonsils.

These include essential oils of lemon, myrrh, oregano, cypress, and frankincense, which can be massaged into the throat area when combined with a carrier oil.

Licorice root, marshmallow root, burdock root, sage, and echinacea are natural herbs used to heal wounds, reduce inflammation, and relieve coughs, sore throats, and pain.

Slippery elm and marshmallow root, for example, turn gel-like when mixed with water and coat the throat to ease discomfort.

These herbal remedies can be found in teas, liquid tinctures, or capsules. Try drinking several cups of tea daily or make your mixture that contains 30 to 40 drops of the tincture mixed with water.

Surgery / Antibiotics: Safe or even necessary for tonsillitis?

For years, the first line of defense against tonsillitis (and many other infections, such as ear infections like “swimmer’s ear”) was to prescribe antibiotics.

However, today we know that frequent use of antibiotics, especially for long periods, increases the risk of antibiotic resistance and allergies, and other problems.

Alarming is the fact that many children receive multiple antibiotic treatments before reaching adolescence, which can, unfortunately, change the bacterial environment in the gut.

Every time you take antibiotics, you essentially kill the sensitive, “good” bacteria in the body and the harmful bacteria that cause infections.

Good bacteria have an essential role in reducing and balancing all types of harmful pathogens in the body, so we suffer when the populations of these “good insects” are significantly reduced.

If a small percentage of harmful bacteria remain, they can multiply and spread without enough good bacteria to fight them.

Antibiotics for tonsillitis are considered inappropriate by some experts and are over-prescribed. According to the Head and Neck Surgery Department at the University of Munich, “Microbiological screening tests in children without symptoms are meaningless and do not warrant antibiotic treatment.”

Many doctors now encourage patients to think twice before ordering prescription antibiotics for patients with a sore throat. Other infections are commonly viral (not bacterial) and are not helped by antibiotics.

Before starting any antibiotic treatment, you want your doctor to confirm that bacterial tonsillitis is the cause of your condition, which can be determined quite effectively using swabs.

Be careful that if the swab test comes back negative, don’t start taking antibiotics immediately.

In some cases, doctors automatically prescribe antibiotics based only on physical symptoms and the absence of bacteria, but there is no guarantee that this will work.

And even when antibiotics are needed to treat acute tonsillitis after trying short-term steroid treatments or over-the-counter pain relievers, antibiotic therapy should only last for the shortest time possible, which is just as effective as traditional 10-day therapies.

Antibiotics can be given at one time or by mouth for up to 10-20 days (divided into two treatments to clear the infection), so always take the minimum dose necessary.

Experts warn that a tonsillectomy (to remove part of the tonsils or the whole thing) should be a last resort treatment option when it comes to surgery.

This is especially true for young children under 6, who should only have a tonsillectomy if they experience recurrent bacterial tonsillitis that does not respond to other natural or prescription treatments.

Tonsil removal, which is usually done with a scalpel but is now also commonly done with specific lasers, radio waves, ultrasonic energy, or electrocautery to cut, burn, or evaporate parts of the tonsils, can be painful and risky as it removes lymphatic tissue that is usually protective.

Tonsillectomy is surgery (usually takes about 45 minutes and is performed in an outpatient setting) and therefore involves anesthesia, risk of infection, scarring or fever, and at least seven to 10 days to rest and recuperate.

Key points about tonsillitis

Putaceous tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils that harmful bacteria or viruses can cause.

The diagnosis of tonsillitis should come from a doctor, who will likely look at the tonsils and perform a smear test (also called a rapid strep test) to detect the presence of bacteria.