Definition
Tonsillitis traces an inflammatory process affecting the palatine tonsils, located on the sides of the throat and above the base of the tongue; inflammation may have an acute or chronic course and is closely linked to pharyngitis (pharyngitis-tonsillitis).
Causes
In most cases, tonsillitis is caused by a viral infection: among the pathogens responsible can not miss the mononucleosis, influenza, HIV, enterovirus and Adenovirus. However, bacteria can also cause or induce inflammation of the tonsils (Streptococcus pyogenes and Group A hemolytic streptococcus).
Symptoms
Tonsillitis begins with the typical enlargement of the tonsils, from whose surface the whitish material tends to come out; redness, inflammation and local hyperaemia are often accompanied by changes in the tone of the voice, difficulty swallowing liquid and solid foods, fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, sore throat, headache, nausea, hoarseness, intense salivation and cough.
Information on Tonsillitis - Drugs for the Treatment of Tonsillitis is not intended to replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Tonsillitis - Tonsillitis Treatment Medicines.
drugs
As analyzed, tonsillitis is generally caused by viruses; considering that the disease tends to self-resolve, the most used drugs are useful to speed up healing and alleviate the perception of redness and inflammation in the throat and tonsils. For this purpose, anti-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory and possibly analgesic agents are used. The use of antibiotics is reserved exclusively for bacterial tonsillitis, since these drugs do not perform any benefit against viral inflammation / infections.
In general, it is possible to adopt simple behavioral rules to speed up the recovery of the disease, in addition to the possible use of drugs (when necessary):
- rest
- abundant intake of hot liquids (broth, milk, tea) or cold (ice lollies)
- gargle with warm salt water, repeated several times during the day
- avoid smoking
- humidify the environment
- wash hands frequently (preventive measure for any type of infection)
- Paracetamol (or acetaminophen, eg Tachipirina, Efferalgan, Sanipirina) recommended to minimize pain and reduce fever. Taken orally in the form of tablets, syrup, effervescent sachets, or suppositories, the drug is generally administered at a dose of 325 - 650 mg every 4-6 hours, for 6-8 consecutive days, to bring down the fever. When the fever, especially if high, persists for a long time, seek medical attention.
- Ibuprofen (eg. Brufen, Moment, Subitene) for medium to moderate throat pain, it is advisable to take an active dose of 200-400 mg (tablets, effervescent sachets) orally every 4-6 hours after meals, as needed. Do not take more than 2.4 grams per day. Intravenous administration to soothe tonsillitis pain is not indicated.
- Acetylsalicylic acid (eg Aspirin, Vivin, Ac Acet, Carin) it is recommended to take a drug dose of 325-650 mg per day, rectally or orally every 4 hours, as needed. Do not exceed 4 g per day. Do not administer to children under the age of 12: the use of salicylates in children can lead to brain damage, liver damage and Reye's syndrome. The dose is reserved for adults only.
- Penicillin (eg Benzil B, Benzil P): is the drug of choice used for the treatment of bacterial tonsillitis (streptococcus beta hemolytic). It should be taken orally for a period of 10 days. In case of hypersensitivity or allergy to penicillin, it is possible to take an alternative antibiotic. It is recommended to finish the treatment period with the antibiotic, even when there is a noticeable improvement in symptoms after a few days: completing the drug therapy is one of the preventive measures to avoid the relapse of tonsillitis and antibiotic resistance.
- Amoxicillin (eg. Augmentin, Klavux) when bacterial tonsillitis is diagnosed from the first symptoms, start therapy with 250-500 mg of orally active, every 8 hours, for 7-10 days, or 500-875 mg per os twice a day. If the bacterial tonsillitis is diagnosed later, it is recommended to take this penicillin at a dose of 775 mg per os once a day, an hour before meals for 10 days. Particularly useful in case of pyogenic Streptococcus superinfections.
- Clarithromycin (eg Biaxin, Macladin, Klacid, Soriclar, Veclam) it is recommended to take one tablet of 250-500 mg of drug every 12 hours. In case of suspected or proven Haemophilus influenzae tonsillitis, take 500 mg of active. Continue the therapy for 10 days.
In the case of chronic tonsillitis, surgical excision of the tonsils is recommended (tonsillectomy): currently, surgical excision is indicated exclusively for those patients whose tonsillitis symptoms interfere with normal daily activities. Not by chance, especially in the child, the tonsils exert a moderate direct immunological activity, very useful for infection prevention.
