Tonsillitis

I wrote the following answer to a question about tonsillitis which appeared in the November 2010 issue of Natural Health magazine.

My son, aged 12, has had several bouts of tonsillitis over the past couple of years. Is there any way this can be treated naturally? And how can we prevent it happening again?

Tonsillitis should not be left untreated, as it can result in more serious illness. The conventional treatment is a course of antibiotics, which is effective at eliminating the bacteria but can leave the patient feeling tired and run-down.  As your son has probably had a number of courses of antibiotics over the past two years, he would benefit from a good quality probiotic capsule daily for a couple of months. This will help to restore the good bacteria in the gut, and will help him to become more resilient to future infections.

I would minimise his consumption of diary products and sugary foods and give a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement to boost his immunity.

If he does get another episode of the illness, you may be able to successfully treat it with one of the following homeopathic remedies before giving antibiotics.  Give the remedy every couple of hours for a day.

• Merc Sol (or Merc Viv) – this is a remedy for mucky, ulcerated tonsils, and swollen flabby tongue with teeth marks on it.
• Silica – a good remedy if the throat feels as though it is being stuck with needles, particularly if the patient is chilly but sweats at night.
• Apis – if the throat is bright red and swollen, like a bee sting. The patient may be restless and prefer cold drinks.
• Ferrum Phos is a tissue salt and a good all-round immune booster for children (and adults) with a tendency to throat infections. It is helpful in the later stages of an illness, when the child has begun to recover.

In addition to these make a gargle with a few drops of tea tree oil diluted in a small glass of warm water. Gargle for a minute 3 times a day at the first sign of a sore throat (spit it out after gargling).

A consultation with a qualified homeopath will enable your son to be given a tailor-made prescription to boost his immunity and minimise future bouts of tonsillitis.  You can visit www.a-r-h.org to find one near you.