A surgical procedure that removes the tonsils is known as tonsillectomy. Located in the back of your throat are two small glands that the tonsils. These glands house the white blood cells that combat infections, however, the tonsils themselves can become infected. Tonsil swelling and a sore throat are common symptoms of tonsillitis, an infection of the tonsils. Swollen glands around your neck, trouble swallowing, and fever are other symptoms. During the checkup, the doctor will also likely note the throat is red and tonsils are covered in a whitish or yellow coating. Sometimes the swelling rectifies itself, other situations will require antibiotics or if necessary, a tonsillectomy. Additionally, a tonsillectomy is also used for treatment when people have issues breathing, heavy snoring, and sleep apnea. Today, we at the ENT Specialists would like to elaborate on a tonsillectomy and the role honey plays.
Tonsillectomies are more common in children than adults, as tonsillitis is more common for children. However, any person can experience trouble with their tonsils despite their age, gender, or race, which can result in needing the surgery. A tonsillectomy is not needed for an isolated case of tonsillitis though, it is only the solution for the patients that experience tonsillitis or strep throat frequently. Generally, a minimum of seven instances of tonsillitis or strep in the last year, or five or more cases over each of the last two years, will make you a candidate and is an option your doctor may highly consider. Tonsillectomy is also a treatment frequently used for the following examples:
– Sleep apnea, or breathing is stopped for short periods during sleep,
– Snoring that is frequent and loud
– Tonsils with cancer
– Swollen tonsils causing breathing issues
– Tonsils that bleed
There are several methods to remove the tonsils, all of which typically take 30 minutes to complete and are under a general anesthetic. Below are a few examples of the various methods.
1) The “cold knife (steel) dissection.” Where the tonsils are removed with a scalpel.
2) The cauterization method where the tissues are burned away.
3) Ultrasonic vibration, or sound waves remove the tissue.
Following the procedure, you stay in the recovery room until wake up and a medical team monitors blood pressure, heart rate and other vitals during your sleep and after you wake up for a short time. Typically, most will go home the same day.
Once home, honey can help with the recovery process and the pain felt following the removal of your tonsils. To treat a number of conditions, honey has been used for centuries. In fact, ancient Egyptians used honey extensively for wound healing, in addition to Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine” recognized the impact honey had during the healing process. Some patients in Great Britain who underwent tonsillectomy participated in a study where a group swallowed a teaspoon of honey twice a day with another who did not. Following the patients through their post-operative recovery found the honey group did much better in almost every parameter they measured. Those who had the honey required less medication for pain control and was able to return to a normal diet significantly sooner than the other group without honey. Along with its ability to fight bacteria the researchers think honey’s anti-inflammatory property are the credit for improved recovery.
If you think you need a tonsillectomy, call the ENT Specialists and let our specialists help you!
