Tonsillitis
Tonsillitis refers to acute inflammation of the
tonsils. It is also known as acute sore throat. Chronic tonsillitis is a term
applied to cases in which there is enlargement of the tonsils accompanied by repeated
attacks of infection. The tonsils are two small lymphoid organs that lie one on
each side of the throat. They can be seen just behind the back of the tongue
between two folds of membrane running up to the soft palate. Normally, they are
about the size of a lima bean but they can become very much larger if severely
infected. They are valuable organs of selective elimination and perform a
two-fold function. Firstly, they protect the throat against disease germs.
Secondly, they serve as barometers for indicating infection elsewhere in the
body, when they become sore and swollen.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of tonsillitis are sore throat,
fever, headache, pain in various parts of the body, difficulty in swallowing
and general weakness. The tonsils are seen to be inflamed and red when the
mouth is opened wide. In many cases, spots of pus exude from them. Externally,
the tonsillar lymph glands which lie just behind the angle of the jaw are
tender and enlarged. In several cases there may be pain in the ear.
Causes
The chief cause of tonsillitis is a toxic condition
of the system generally and is brought to a head by sudden lowering of vitality
resulting from exposure and sudden chill. Tonsils enlarge and get inflamed when
the toxins cannot be got rid of through the normal channels of elimination such
as the bowels, kidneys and skin. Throat afflictions of this kind are also
associated with the result of chronic constipation, when toxins, which should
have been ejected from the system in the normal way, are reabsorbed into the
blood-stream.
Treatment
The treatment of the tonsillitis on the lines of
modern medical system by means of painting and spraying is both harmful and
suppressive. It does not help to rid the system of the toxins, which are the
root of the trouble. In fact it forces these toxins back into the system, which
may cause more serious trouble later on. The correct way to treat the disease
is to cleanse the system of toxic waste through proper dietary and other
natural methods.
To begin with, the patient should fast for three to
five days by which time serious symptoms would subside. Nothing but water and
orange juice should be taken during this time. The bowels should be cleansed
daily with a warm water enema during the period of fasting. A cold pack should
be applied to the throat at two-hourly interval during the day. The procedure
is to wring out some linen material in cold water, wrap it two or three times
around the throat and cover it with some flannelling.
The throat may be gargled several times daily with
neat lemon juice. Gargle made from the fenugreek seeds is very effective in
severe cases. To make such a gargle , two tablespoonful of fenugreek seeds
should be allowed to simmer for half an hour in a litre of water and then set aside
to cool. The entire quantity should be used as a soothing gargle in a day with
beneficial results.
A hot Epsom -salt bath taken every day or every other
day will also be beneficial.
After the acute symptoms of tonsillitis are over, the
patient should adopt an all-fruit diet for further three or four days. In this
regimen, three meals of fresh, juicy fruits such as apples, grapes, grapefruit,
oranges, pears, pineapple, peaches and melon may be taken. The juice of fresh
pineapple is most valuable in all throat afflictions of this kind. After the
all-fruit diet the patient may gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet on
the following lines:
Breakfast: Fresh
fruits, or grated raw carrot or any other raw salad, and milk. Prunes or other dried
fruits may be added, if desired.
Lunch: Steamed
vegetables, as obtainable, and whole wheat chappatis. Vegetables likes bitter gourd
and fenugreek are specially beneficial.
Dinner: A
good-sized raw salad of vegetables as obtainable, sprouts seeds as mung beans
and alfalfa seeds, whole meal bread and butter or cottage cheese.
Raw vegetable juices are also valuable in the
treatment of tonsillitis. Juice of carrot, beet and cucumber taken individually
or in combination are especially beneficial. Formula proportion found to be
helpful when used in combination are carrot 300 ml., beet 100ml., and cucumber 100
ml.
The daily dry friction and hip bath as well as
breathing and other exercises should all form part of the daily health regimen.
A hot Epsom-salts bath once or twice a week can also be taken regularly with
beneficial results. Tonsillitis can be successfully treated by the natural
methods outlined above. Surgery for the removal of the tonsils is necessary
only in very rare cases, when tonsils are seriously diseased, rugged and
contain hopelessly incurable pus pockets.
Source: www.healthlibrary.com through www.scribd.com
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