Washing the tonsils for children is one of the methods of conservative treatment of tonsillitis in children aged 9-10 years and older, as well as alleviating the symptoms of sore throat, allowing you to clear lacunae - narrow depressions in the thickness of the palatine tonsils - from purulent plugs. A regular course of procedures can reduce symptoms and put the disease into remission, which can subsequently prevent the need to remove tonsils.
In the ENT department of the Miracle Doctor clinic, experienced otolaryngologists rinse the tonsils with medications in children:
- using a syringe,
- using the Tonsillor device.
What are tonsils, structural features
The immune system consists of many components. They participate in the formation of the body’s immune response to pathogenic agents when attempting to introduce them. The tonsils are considered an important part of it. They are accumulations of lymphoid tissue. The tonsils are located in the mucous membrane lining the pharynx. Formations become the first filter on the path of infection into the body.
Together with other accumulations of lymphoid tissue, they form the pharyngeal ring. Tonsils have a complex structure. They are pierced by winding deep channels called crypts. Branching reaches the third or even fourth order. Their number is usually from 16 to 18 pieces. The epithelium covering the walls of the crypts is associated with lymphoid tissue over a large area.
These formations are most developed in the area of the upper pole of the tonsil. In their lumen, desquamated epithelial cells, food debris, leukocytes, and lymphocytes accumulate. Bacteria actively multiply in this environment. This structure promotes the development of chronic inflammatory processes inside the crypts.
Methods for washing tonsil lacunae for children
Drainage of tonsils from purulent plugs is carried out in an ENT office. Depending on the physiological characteristics, age of the child and health status, the otolaryngologist chooses the rinsing method.
It is recommended that procedures be carried out regularly every 1 day with a minimum course of 5 procedures, after which the attending physician decides on the need to continue the course of up to 10 procedures.
Before the procedure, topical anesthesia is applied with a drug approved for use in children to reduce the level of gag and pain reflexes. The purpose of the procedure is not only the physical washing out of purulent accumulations from the lacunae, but also antiseptic treatment and the introduction of antibacterial drugs that act locally on the affected organ, in contrast to antibiotics taken orally.
Rinsing the lacunae of the tonsils with a syringe
The method is used for minor purulent accumulations and consists of using a syringe without a needle filled with an antiseptic drug. The jet from the syringe washes out purulent plugs from the lacunae and enters the patient’s oral cavity. The liquid is spat into the cuvette and the procedure is repeated. After washing, the tonsils are treated antiseptically. The technique can be used for older children, as it requires involvement in the procedure.
Vacuum lavage of lacunae with the Tonzillor apparatus
Using the Tonsillor device allows you not only to thoroughly clean the lacunae using an antiseptic solution, but also to immediately suck out the washing solution with purulent inclusions using a vacuum, preventing it from getting into the patient’s mouth. To wash lacunae, the device is equipped with a special nozzle-cup, in which negative pressure is created, the solution is supplied and sucked out.
Prices for washing the tonsils in Moscow depend on the chosen method of washing and may also include the cost of a preliminary consultation with an otolaryngologist and a throat smear test for sensitivity to antibiotics.
Methods for treating inflammation of the tonsils
Chronic tonsillitis is usually treated using conservative and surgical methods, which are used only as a last resort.
The following types of therapy are used:
- antibiotic therapy prescribed by otolaryngologists taking into account the sensitivity of bacteria; treating the throat with antiseptic solutions (“Octenisept”, “Miramistin” and others); antihistamines to relieve swelling of the mucous membrane; immunomodulators to stimulate the immune system; painkillers.
The patient must strictly follow a diet. Exclude solid foods, cold or hot dishes and drinks, alcohol, soda.
Indications
Most often, washing the lacunae of the tonsils is prescribed by an otolaryngologist in cases where characteristic symptoms appear in a child with acute tonsillitis or relapse of chronic tonsillitis in order to:
- get rid of the purulent-inflammatory process,
- relieve symptoms of the disease (sore throat),
- sanitize the tonsils as a source of infection throughout the body.
As a result, washing the tonsils allows you to speed up recovery and reduce the risk of complications.
Self-washing of the tonsils in children is unacceptable, since you can injure the delicate walls of the tonsils with inept movements and fail to carry out a high-quality antiseptic treatment, which will aggravate the patient’s condition.
What methods of hardware washing of tonsils are there?
Washing the tonsils is a procedure that is performed only by an ENT doctor. This can be done in several ways:
- Using a special syringe. During the procedure, the doctor uses a syringe with a curved metal tube attached to it. It is introduced into the lacuna. This breaks the traffic jams. The syringe contains a solution of an antiseptic - furacillin, potassium permanganate and others. Liquid is pumped into the lacuna. It pours out, squeezing out pus. Vacuum washing method. Removal of purulent plugs occurs under the influence of ultrasound. Radiation promotes the penetration of drugs into deep lacunar passages. This type of washing can produce almost complete cleansing of lacunae. Cavitation method combined with ultrasound. When ultraacoustic vibrations pass through a liquid, cavities with air are formed in it. When they collapse, a shock wave is formed. It damages the cell membranes of bacteria.
Using these techniques, together with drug therapy, it is possible to achieve a significant reduction in exacerbations of chronic tonsillitis.
Side effects from rinsing
Side effects that may occur as a result of rinsing:
- Damage to the mucous membrane.
- Allergic reactions to medications used during rinsing. Sometimes allergies appear already during the first interventions, and sometimes only after several procedures, as the allergen accumulates. Allergic reactions can manifest themselves both locally (swelling and hyperemia) and systemically (urticaria, anaphylaxis). In any case, the medicine used should be changed.
- Spread of infection from the tonsils to the mucous membrane of the mouth, pharynx, and respiratory tract. Sinusitis and bronchitis may develop. The risk increases if the rinsing is done independently, and is minimal with the vacuum method.
- Rarely, but possible exacerbation of tonsillitis up to an increase in temperature to 40°C, with inflammation of the lymph nodes and general intoxication.
Washing the palatine tonsils is a fairly effective and low-traumatic method of treating chronic tonsillitis compared to tonsil removal. Especially if you do the washing in highly qualified clinical diagnostic centers under the supervision of specialists. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to completely cure a patient of chronic tonsillitis with the help of rinsing. But in any case, the condition improves, exacerbations become less frequent, and in most cases it is possible to avoid tonsil removal.
Hardware methods cost slightly more than traditional methods using a syringe, but the effect is incomparably higher, and side effects are kept to a minimum. Moreover, you should not wash your tonsils at home, since maintaining sterility is not always possible, and the risk of injury and spread of infection is very high.
Indications and contraindications for washing the tonsils
Most often, the procedure is performed to treat chronic forms of tonsillitis in adults. The doctor decides whether this procedure is necessary for the patient. The main indication is the presence of purulent plugs in the lacunae of the tonsils.
Contraindications for treatment are as follows:
- state of exacerbation of inflammatory processes; oncological processes; pathologies of the retina; severe heart defects; decompensation of hypertension.
This manipulation is not recommended for pregnant women and children under three years of age.
Contraindications
Contraindications:
- acute processes in the nasopharynx (acute tonsillitis, rhinitis, caries, stomatitis and others);
- the presence of decompensated chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- retinal detachment;
- presence of cancer;
- children under 3 years of age;
- pulmonary tuberculosis in the active stage;
- history of allergic reactions to medications used for rinsing;
- I and III trimesters of pregnancy.
Regardless of how the procedure is carried out, a number of conditions must be met:
- take a nasal and throat swab test for bacteriological culture;
- do not eat or drink 1.5-2 hours before the procedure to reduce the likelihood of vomiting;
- since during rinsing you will have to breathe through your nose, if there is congestion, it is necessary to instill vasoconstrictor drops;
- after rinsing, avoid eating rough food so as not to irritate the sore throat;
- If severe pain occurs during and after the procedure, repeated rinsing should be done with freezing.
How is the tonsil rinsing procedure performed?
No special preparation is required before performing this procedure. Washing on this device occurs in several stages:
- first, the tonsils are treated with lidocaine; a vacuum attachment is fixed to the surface of the formation; the device creates negative pressure; the nozzle pulls out purulent plugs and removes them into a special container; the lacunae are washed with an antiseptic solution. Ultrasound injects a drug into the tonsil.
The procedure relieves inflammation, activates tissue regeneration, and removes swelling.
Means for washing tonsils
In principle, any antiseptic solution is suitable. Its main characteristics should be the following:
- non-toxic if swallowed;
- chemically neutral so as not to cause burns to the mucous membrane;
- has a bactericidal effect, especially on streptococci and staphylococci - the main pathogens of tonsillitis. It’s not bad if the solution also has antiviral and antifungal effects;
- the temperature of the solution used should be about 37°C.
The most commonly used solution is Furacilin, as well as Chlorhexidine, Miramistin, and various bacteriophages. At the end of the procedure, the tonsils are treated with Lugol's solution. At home, rinsing with a decoction of herbs (sage or chamomile) is recommended.
Advantages of carrying out the procedure at the RebenOK clinic
Consultation and appointment of experienced specialists will help get rid of the symptoms of sore throat and prevent the development of complications. An experienced ENT specialist will rinse the child’s tonsils and prescribe comprehensive treatment, based on the results of the diagnosis. We work at affordable prices, providing services in full compliance with international protocols.
Advantages of carrying out the procedure at the RebenOK clinic:
- High efficiency indicators. Specialists use a modern Tonsillor device, which removes purulent plugs using optimal water pressure.
- Guaranteed safety. The washing procedure is carried out extremely carefully, which eliminates the possibility of injury to the tonsil tissue.
Doctors pay special attention not only to the result of treatment, but also to the process itself.
To eliminate gagging and pain during the procedure, local anesthetics are used. Sign up to wash your child’s tonsils in Moscow at the ENT office of our medical center. We carry out a cleansing procedure and prescribe comprehensive treatment, which allows us to avoid the development of complications that are dangerous to health and life.
