Contents
Washing the lacunae of the palatine tonsils is one of the most frequent recommendations of doctors who diagnosed chronic tonsillitis in their wards. Some patients bring themselves to a deplorable state, not wanting to go to the doctor at the first manifestations of the alarming symptoms of the acute stage of the disease. Only after it becomes unbearable to endure, patients come to the reception with a neglected disease. Washing alone in such situations will no longer help, but in combination with antibacterial drugs, it will help to neutralize the painful symptoms.
When is the procedure necessary?
Doctors recommend using the presented technique in the early stages of the development of the disease, or when signs of exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis are found. But if the situation has worsened, then one auxiliary means for disinfecting the tonsils is no longer enough. Doctors prescribe “heavy artillery” like strong antibiotics.
The main problem of those who constantly suffer from lesions of the tonsils lies in the inability to completely get rid of the accumulated pathogenic microorganisms. They, together with dead leukocytes, are localized in the tortuous passages and voids of the organ. Most of the pathogens and dead leukocytes will not be able to get out of there on their own.
In especially neglected cases, even the involvement of pharmacological preparations does not help, because pathogens, especially in chronic ailments, quickly get used to any active substance. Instead of killing microbes, drugs, at best, weaken their activity, as streptococci and staphylococci become resistant. It will be possible to get rid of them only with direct exposure, which is characteristic of washing lacunae. If the patient experiences weakness, soreness in the throat, as well as discomfort in the cervical and submandibular lymph nodes during the next exacerbation, then this is a reason to carry out the procedure.
Adjunctive therapy often relieves victims of the need to remove the tonsils. But spot treatment will help only in the absence of significant complications such as infection of internal organs. When pathogens enter the bloodstream, they often provoke the rapid development of cystitis, pyelonephritis and adnexitis even faster than it usually does.
Technique classification
If you want to achieve high productivity, then ordinary rinses at home will not help. You need to seek qualified help from an otolaryngologist. During the examination, he will make an accurate diagnosis, as well as the degree of damage, choosing the optimal technique designed to clear the gaps from the accumulation of pathogens.
If at this stage you try to do everything yourself with improvised means, then there is a high probability of worsening the clinical picture. This is explained by the fact that microbes, together with the exit with the liquid, will be further distributed throughout the body. Additional risk factors are the inaccurate use of instruments, which leads to trauma to the palate.
Depending on the size of the affected area, as well as the individual characteristics of the victim’s body, the doctor will decide on the spot which washing method to use:
- apparatus;
- syringe
The second option is already somewhat outdated, but it is still proving its effectiveness in practice, which allows it to be used in many conventional clinics. To get to the tonsils, the doctor will attach a cannula to the syringe – a brass rod that has a replaceable tip. During direct exposure to the lesion, the victim is required to simply sit with his mouth wide open for good access to the deep part of the throat.
To reduce discomfort, the surface of the larynx is treated with an anesthetic. Often, this involves lidocaine in individual proportions, prescribed by a doctor. But if a person has never had local anesthesia before, then you will first need to conduct a control allergic test.
If all is well, then an anesthetic will be applied to the affected area to relieve pain. The intervention itself rarely lasts more than ten minutes. During this time, the specialist will pump out the liquid from the almond voids. This approach guarantees cleansing of the resulting purulent plugs, as well as:
- leftover food;
- pathogenic microorganisms;
- waste products of dangerous bacteria.
At the same time, the surface is irrigated with a special solution that helps block the spread of the inflammatory process.
In private clinics, where medical equipment is updated much faster, manipulation is often performed using a vacuum apparatus. The principle of operation of the installation is based on the mechanism of operation of a standard vacuum cleaner. The device simply collects the pathogenic contents of the gaps during suction in order to clean the diseased part of the body.
The use of ultrasound adds convenience. The system is aimed at extinguishing inflammation by reducing painful manifestations. Also, radiation that is safe for humans helps the liquid quickly penetrate into the desired tissues.
Features of each technique
Despite the fact that the use of a syringe can significantly reduce the cost of treating an infected area, the method also has several significant drawbacks. The most important of them is an increased risk of injury, since with a lack of doctor’s experience, there is a high risk of causing microtrauma with a metal cannula.
If the doctor accidentally made a puncture, then this will end in prolonged healing, which, against the background of a general infection, will generally occur extremely slowly. As an eternal reminder, a scar remains, which, during the next exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis, will become a significant barrier to the outflow of fluid.
It turns out a vicious circle: the patient will fall ill again, will again come to the appointment for syringe washing due to the inability of the tonsils to independently organize the outflow of fluid. So, even initially for the first time ill can enroll in the circle of chronic patients.
Another difficulty may be the anatomical structure of the treated area. Due to the tortuosity, reaching all the corners of the curved passages will be quite problematic. This increases the percentage likelihood that the infection will get stuck for a long time in a practically inaccessible point, constantly declaring itself after a partial improvement in the condition.
Against this backdrop, many victims opt for a hardware-based approach, which comes at a higher cost. It also has a number of contraindications, among which pregnancy is especially distinguished. When a woman in an interesting position has become a victim of a sore throat, she will be sent to be treated with syringe lavages that are safer for the fetus.
At the same time, vacuum intervention is ready to provide a more stable effect compared to the outdated counterpart. Also, the method allows you to almost completely eliminate the risks of a possible accidental puncture of part of the larynx. Regardless of the chosen measure, it is imperative to pay attention to absolute prohibitions for the implementation of manipulation. These include:
- infectious diseases of an acute nature with elevated body temperature;
- oncological neoplasms of any localization;
- tuberculosis.
A relative contraindication will be called those people whose gag reflex is pronounced. If you manage to endure the first time, then, as the reviews testify, in subsequent times the disadvantage manifests itself much weaker.
How to achieve increased efficiency?
If the otolaryngologist, after examining the ward, comes to the conclusion that the situation cannot be corrected without washing, it is worth agreeing with him. The average course will stretch for 7-10 visits to the physiotherapy room, since fewer visits will be useless. Since pathological contents tend to hide in the depths of narrow lacunae, it is better to play it safe in order to achieve stable remission.
When it comes to the next attack of exacerbation, experts recommend that you first wait for the lull of the peak period, and only then go for the procedure.
The exact period, how much the effect of remission can be preserved, will not be announced even by the most experienced doctor. Here it is worth focusing on the ability of the body to fight the approaching infectious attack. Because of this, some victims of persistent inflammation of the larynx have to sign up for lavage cycles almost every calendar quarter. To increase the chances of enjoying remission longer, during treatment, you will need to strictly follow medical recommendations:
- come to the procedure one hour after the meal, and not earlier;
- do not eat, do not drink liquid for two hours after irrigation;
- regularly do gargles for the throat.
The last point is extremely important due to the fact that with increased inflammation in the tonsils, you will have to experience pain. Food particles will provoke it. It becomes especially difficult to consume solid food, which the ENT generally advises to refuse at the time of the main therapeutic part.
In rare cases, manipulation is not able to alleviate the condition of the victim. This is characteristic of people with non-standard anatomical features, in which the tonsils are located too deep between the palatine arches. In this situation, it is better to try to look for a workaround by consulting with your doctor.
You also need to remember that the effect of washing is temporary. Therapy is aimed at eliminating the symptoms, rather than direct treatment. The source of infection should be treated with antibiotics and other pharmacological preparations prescribed by a narrow specialist. To improve the situation, you can try to increase immunity. This measure will serve as a reliable prevention of the awakening of chronic diseases of the larynx, as well as tonsillitis or other one-time lesions.
To facilitate well-being in between sessions will allow regular brushing of teeth, as well as gargling with pharmaceutical herbal preparations. The best option will be advised by an otolaryngologist, but usually all complex brewing preparations contain sage with chamomile. They can be bought in dry form at any pharmacy, brewed and applied according to the instructions on the package. But this will only work if the patient is not allergic to the components of the contents of the box.
You need to rinse your throat after each meal, while observing the rules of oral hygiene. But adding any extraneous drugs that are not prescribed by a doctor to the medication course is strictly prohibited so as not to blur the overall clinical picture.