Follicular tonsillitis is one of the types of purulent inflammation of the tonsils. Its difference from other types of purulent tonsillitis is that in this case, pus accumulates on the surface of the tonsils in the form of separate foci, forming small vesicles - follicles. This feature is of interest only for pathomorphologists, and practically does not affect how to treat follicular angina.
Antibiotic therapy
Since a sore throat with a purulent component is an infectious pathology, antibiotics are the main treatment for it. This broad class of drugs is specifically designed to fight pathogenic bacteria and is best suited to relieve the patient of tonsil inflammation. But it should be remembered that antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections. With viral lesions, these pharmacological drugs will be useless.
Treatment of follicular sore throat, as a pathology caused by bacteria, begins immediately with the appointment of broad-spectrum antibiotics. This definition means that these drugs are capable of inhibiting the development of a large number of microorganisms. These antibiotics include cephalosporins, macrolides, and some penicillins.
In parallel with the initiation of a broad-spectrum drug, the patient should undergo a specific examination, called an antibiotic susceptibility culture. For its implementation, the patient takes material containing the microorganisms that caused the pathology. For follicular sore throat, such a material is usually a throat swab. Further, in the laboratory, bacterial cultures are grown in the smear, and they check which antibiotic most intensively inhibits the growth and reproduction of this particular strain of microorganisms. Based on the results of the study, an individual treatment of follicular sore throat is selected for each specific patient.
Important! Antibiotics are an indispensable and main component in the treatment of purulent inflammation of the tonsils in both adults and children. It will not be possible to cure this disease with exclusively folk remedies.
Features of antibiotic therapy
Taking antibiotics should last at least 1 week, and preferably 10 days. This is explained by the fact that most of these drugs have a cumulative effect. That is, to obtain the maximum clinical effect, it is necessary that the concentration of the pharmacological agent in the patient's body reaches a certain threshold.
One of the criteria for the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy is the subsiding of all the symptoms of angina and the normalization of body temperature. But at the same time, the drug intake should be finally canceled no earlier than three days after the temperature indicators reach normal values.
It should be remembered that after 3-5 days of a course of antibiotics, the patient may feel a temporary deterioration. It is characterized by an increase in weakness, symptoms of intoxication, an increase in body temperature. This effect is a variant of the norm - it is caused by the mass death of pathogens and, as a result, an increase in the release of toxins and decay products of bacterial cells into the blood. After 1-2 days, after the disposal of all these harmful substances, the patient's well-being will begin to gradually improve.
Another important point in antibiotic treatment is that it is a systemic therapy. That is, antibacterial drugs do not act on a specific site of infection, but on the entire body as a whole. In adults, microorganisms are present in the intestines that normally should be there - they help to digest food. But antibiotics affect them as negatively as pathogenic bacteria. In order to avoid dysbiosis and restore normal intestinal microflora during antibiotic treatment, it is recommended to take drugs with lactic acid bacteria or regular biokefir for 10-14 days.
General recommendations for treatment
How many days it will take to cure follicular sore throat at home largely depends on the patient's compliance with certain conditions:
- The patient is prescribed strict bed rest. This will save him from excessive stress and hypothermia. He should be in bed for 6-8 days - at least until the temperature readings return to normal.
- Increase your fluid intake. You can drink herbal teas, compotes, fruit drinks, fruit juices or just pure non-carbonated water. This will help accelerate the elimination of toxins, as well as lower body temperature.
Important! Taking pharmacological drugs in order to lower the temperature should be started only when it exceeds the threshold of 38 ° C.
- The room where the patient is located should be warm. But 2-3 times a day it is necessary to carry out short airing.
- For several days, when the severity of the symptoms of angina is maximal, the patient is advised to observe vocal rest. This will relieve the sore throat and reduce mucosal irritation.
- It is also necessary to ensure that the patient's food is soft, warm and does not contain corrosive substances such as spices. This will help to avoid mechanical and chemical trauma to the mucous membrane.
Among other things, it is necessary to limit the contact of an adult patient with people around him as much as possible. How many days it will be a source of infection is rather difficult to predict - therefore it is better to isolate it for the entire duration of the disease. It is especially important to avoid interaction of the patient with children, the elderly and pregnant women - all of these categories are more susceptible to infection.
Local antibacterial agents
Treatment of follicular sore throat also involves the use of aids that can disinfect the throat locally to help fight infection. There are a number of drugs and compounds that you can freely use at home:
- The easiest way is to gargle with a solution that contains iodine, regular salt, and baking soda. Salt and soda should be taken in equal proportions and a few drops of iodine should be added to warm water.
- You can also gargle with a furacilin solution. To do this, you need to purchase dry tabletted furacilin at the pharmacy and dissolve 1 tablet in 1 glass of warm water.
- Chlorophyllipt, an extract from eucalyptus leaves, has good disinfecting properties. Gargle them 4-5 times a day.
- With follicular sore throat, you can disinfect the throat with a manganese solution. To do this, you need to take 2-3 grams of dry potassium permanganate for half a liter of warm water and thoroughly dissolve the granules. You can also add 10-12 drops of iodine there. Gargle with this remedy no more than 4 times a day for a maximum of 5 days.
- In addition, gargling with boric acid is useful by dissolving 1 teaspoon of the acid in 1 glass of warm water. You can add a pinch of baking soda and salt to the solution.
- Chlorhexidine has proven itself as a local disinfectant. It is a powerful bactericidal agent and is sometimes even able to cure follicular sore throat at an early stage. To do this, you need to gargle them 2-3 times a day. But keep in mind that chlorhexidine should not be swallowed.If this does happen, then no matter how much of the drug got into the stomach, you should immediately take 20 tablets of activated carbon or other sorbent.
Important! With follicular sore throat, it is not recommended to gargle with Lugol's solution. Glycerol included in its composition has a high viscosity, due to which it creates a film on the surface of the tonsils and makes it difficult to drain pus.
In addition to pharmacological preparations for local disinfection of the throat at home, it is useful to use folk remedies. So, for example, a tincture of calendula or aloe has a good antibacterial effect. These herbal remedies can both gargle and inhale.
Be sure to pay attention to a natural antibacterial agent like garlic. You will not find as many phytoncides - substances that destroy microorganisms as there are in garlic - in any other natural product. On the basis of garlic, you can prepare solutions and gargle with them, but it will be quite effective to use it raw. After putting 1 clove in your mouth, bite it periodically so that the secreted juice gets into the oral cavity.
It is also important to know how many times a day you need to rinse. If you use pharmacological drugs, then we have indicated the approximate frequency of procedures above, and in addition, you can read about this in the instructions printed on the package. If you prefer treatment with folk remedies, then the more rinses per day are performed, the better. The best option is to rinse with a break of 1 hour, regardless of body temperature.
Symptomatic therapy
These drugs are not able to cure follicular angina, but their action is aimed at relieving its symptoms and alleviating the patient's condition. Their task is to suppress pronounced inflammatory reactions in the throat mucosa, as well as to reduce the intensity of the pain syndrome. This will help the patient's body to focus on combating the true cause of the disease - infection, which means it will directly affect how long it will take to finally get rid of the sore throat.
Many pharmacological drugs sold in pharmacies have anti-inflammatory and anesthetic effects. Among the most popular means are:
- Trakhisan;
- Faringosept;
- Neo-angina;
- Septolet;
- Ingalipt;
- Cameton and others.
In addition to pharmaceutical preparations, folk remedies can be widely used at home. First of all, these are, of course, infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs:
- chamomile;
- St. John's wort;
- calendula;
- linden;
- thousand-leaf;
- horsetail;
- oregano;
Important! All these herbal remedies are capable of causing allergic reactions. Before using them, you should make sure that the patient is not allergic to them.
With infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs, you can both rinse and inhale the throat. Their use is indicated throughout the entire period of angina disease, regardless of body temperature. Moreover, even after the temperature has returned to normal, it is recommended to use phytopreparations for at least 2-3 days - this will prevent the reappearance of the disease.
General tonic
The internal defense of our body - the immune system - also plays an important role in the fight against infection. Therefore, its maintenance and stimulation will help to cure sore throat faster. In order to activate the functions of immunity, you can use such means as:
- Vitamin complexes. Vitamins are essential for the immune system to function properly. It is with their help that many biochemical reactions occur - they serve as catalysts for the action of immunity.
- Protein food. This substance is the main building material of the immune system, therefore, an increased amount of easily digestible protein, for example, in the form of chicken meat, should be introduced into the patient's diet.
- Immunostimulants. These are herbal preparations such as ginseng, echinacea, eleutherococcus, etc.
In addition, periodic warming up is a good general tonic. Keep your feet warm first. To do this, you can use hot foot baths or the installation of mustard plasters. But it should be remembered that when the body temperature rises above 380C, all warming up should be canceled. In addition, they cannot be used in adults suffering from heart and vascular diseases, as well as in pregnant women.
Important! Warming compresses on the throat with follicular sore throat are completely prohibited - additional local heating will contribute to the development of infection.
