Symptoms of chronic tonsillitis, or prolonged, ongoing inflammation of the pharyngeal and palatine tonsils, are quite unpleasant. In addition to pain, tingling, dryness and a foreign body sensation in the throat, patients often complain of fatigue and lethargy, headache and bad breath. Subfebrile body temperature can also be observed: its presence indicates a chronic inflammatory process, which is chronic tonsillitis. Symptoms can be even more serious: for example, a significant increase in temperature, cervical lymphadenitis, changes in the joints and heart indicate that the disease has taken a more serious, toxic-allergic form.
The tissue of the tonsils with this disease is seriously changed: chronic tonsillitis, the symptoms of which can be seen upon examination, causes ulceration of their mucous membrane. The tonsils are hyperemic, covered with abscesses and densified, the edges of the palatine arches are thickened.
Chronic tonsillitis, the causes of which are fairly well understood, in some cases is a consequence of inflammation of the pharynx caused by an infectious disease - for example, with scarlet fever. Frequent tonsillitis, purulent sinusitis, timely untreated caries also contribute to its development. Chronic tonsillitis in children can develop due to overgrown adenoids that make nasal breathing difficult - while the child constantly breathes through his mouth, thereby opening up access to infection.
The presence in the body of a chronic inflammatory process adversely affects the human condition. Even chronic tonsillitis, the symptoms of which are manifested rather weakly, can subsequently cause serious diseases: first of all, nephritis, rheumatism, polyarthritis, as well as diseases of the connective tissue - scleroderma, lupus erythematosus and others. Its role in the development of skin diseases, which are quite unpleasant - eczema, psoriasis is proved. In addition, the disease in the acute stage can provoke acute otitis media, pneumonia, bronchitis. Finally, chronic tonsillitis, which lasts for many years, leads to inhibition of the body's immune system.
The treatment for this disease is conservative or surgical. Non-surgical methods include measures for the rehabilitation of tonsils: irrigation with special solutions, inhalation and rinsing, as well as the use of general strengthening drugs that increase immunity. These methods can be recommended if chronic tonsillitis, the symptoms of which are slightly expressed in this case, proceeds in a mild form, as well as in cases where there are contraindications for the operation.
In a hospital, lacunae are also rinsed with antibiotic solutions using a syringe - with this, purulent contents are first aspirated from them. Sometimes special healing pastes are put in the gaps. In the conservative treatment of chronic tonsillitis, physiotherapy is also successfully used: UHF, microwave therapy, as well as laser and ultrasound treatment.
Surgical treatment of the disease can be recommended, first of all, with its toxic-allergic form, frequent tonsillitis, and also if conservative treatment did not bring the desired effect. Removal of tonsils is also shown in a situation when exacerbated chronic tonsillitis entails an exacerbation of concomitant diseases. It can be carried out using general anesthesia or local anesthesia. A tonsillectomy usually takes no more than half an hour. After the operation, a sore throat persists for several days, at this time you can only eat soft food, non-sharp and non-hot. Complete healing of the wound surface occurs after 2-3 weeks. After that, tonsillitis can be forgotten forever.