Tonsils are tissues that lie on either side of our throat. When these tissues get infected by bacteria, they get inflamed and swell up, and this condition is known as tonsillitis. The most common symptoms of tonsillitis are difficulty in swallowing due to sore throat, accompanied by fever and headache. At the onset of tonsillitis, there are a few things that you can do at home to take care of this problem. These remedial measures should take care of the problem within a week. However, if the problem persists beyond this period, then it would be a good idea to consult a doctor immediately. The first thing that you need to do is to bring down the swelling. For this, mix salt and a pinch of turmeric powder to a glass of warm water and gargle. Do this every two hours. This will help in bringing the swelling down. Apart from this, there are a few concoctions that you should sip at regular intervals. One such concoction can be prepared by adding a few pieces of crushed ginger, around six cloves, and 10 to 15 leaves of holy basil to your tea. Boil the mixture and drink it when hot, without adding any milk or sugar to it. Avoid the intake of sugar as much as possible as it has the tendency to aggravate the swelling and the soreness of the throat. You can substitute sugar with either jaggery or honey.
Another concoction can be made by adding one tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice, two tablespoons of honey, and two pinches of table salt to a glass of warm water. For the night, prepare a concoction by adding turmeric powder, pepper powder, and a pinch of salt to a glass of milk and bring it to a boil. When it becomes lukewarm, drink this milk just before going to sleep. Drink lots of vegetable juices, especially cucumber, carrot, and beetroot juices, either individually or by combining them. If you are combining them, then make sure that the proportions are three parts carrot juice to one part each of cucumber and beetroot juices. To get rid of the gagging sensation, dilute orange juice by adding one part water to three parts orange juice and have it warm. Or else prepare a mixture of pepper, dried ginger, and dried basil leaves powder, in equal proportions, and have one teaspoon of it every day.