How to heal from tonsillectomy?

Are you feeling sore, achy, and downright miserable after undergoing a tonsillectomy? Don’t worry; it’s perfectly normal to feel this way. After all, your body has just undergone major surgery! But fear not – we’ve got you covered with some handy tips and tricks for healing quickly and comfortably.

Understanding Tonsils

Before diving into the best ways to heal post-tonsillectomy, let’s take a quick refresher on what exactly our tonsils are. The tonsils are two small masses of tissue located in the back of your throat that help ward off infections. Sometimes though, those pesky things get infected themselves!

Why You May Need Tonsil Surgery

When it comes down to deciding whether or not you need a tonsillectomy (removal of the tonsils), there are several reasons why it might be warranted.

1. Chronic infections
2. Sleep-disordered breathing
3. Obstructive sleep apnea
4. Abscesses or other growths

Generally speaking, a tonsillectomy is considered when one experiences: chronic infection (multiple sets per year or acute symptoms for > 3 months) OR trouble sleeping/breathing due to enlarged/crowded airway at night.

The good news is there are plenty of things you can do before surgery to improve your chances of speedy recovery:

Quit Smoking If Possible

This should come as no surprise but smoking makes everything worse! Smoking increases your risk factors for complications like bleeding after surgery as well contributes bad acidity which can irritate your wound site making pain feel worse than it really is.

Stock Up On Soft Foods

You will want soft foods post-surgery such as yogurt, pudding , jello , mashed potatoes & oatmeal etc. Anything grittier than scrambled eggs may irritate your throat/scabs so stick to easy-to-eat options.

Keep Your Throat Clean

Start with a clean slate as it were, by brushing your teeth/rinsing mouth well pre-op so less bacteria in wound site resulting in speedier recovery.

Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what you can do after surgery for better healing and faster recovery.

Stay Hydrated!

It is extremely important to maintain hydration especially the first few days post-surgery. Drinking water will help keep scabbiness from becoming dry, cracking or painful which results in slower healing time! Plus, dehydration increases inflammation levels within one’s body lowering energy levels needed during this tough time period (recovery).

Pain Management: Don’t Be Afraid To Dose Up

Pain management is an essential part of tonsillectomy recuperation. Take pain meds on schedule during the early hours/days just as directed by your surgeon/doctor – skipping these meds might result in more intense pain experiences that could further delay a fast & swift recovery process.

Tip: Alternate Tylenol and ibuprofen every two hours OR take medication around meal times when discomfort tends to be most notable instead of waiting until symptoms become severe enough to require it regularly

Gargle Salt Water Regularly

Saline solution makes lots of sense- salt helps reduce any potential bacterial growth while also soothe wound sites without irritating them further either!. Mix 1 teaspoon table salt + lukewarm water together several times per day poist-operatively ( post op) if possible !

Ice It Up!

Chilled food items are not only generally soothing, but they provide natural vasoconstriction (which reduces swelling/inflammation). Eat cold foods like ice cream; frozen yogurt etc which keeps the area feeling numb – this tricks your body’s sensors ‘if’ throat isn’t aching then don’t need to signal for pain resistance- smart!

Sleep On Your Side: Zzzzz

Try to sleep on your side post-surgery. Sleeping upright in a chair/sitting up doesn’t help much, and lying flat might potentially lead to snoring due airway being congested while swollen from surgery! Laying on one’s back may exacerbate matters as well so choose sleeping position wisely.

Take It Easy – No Strenuous Physical Activity

Post tonsillectomy body is going through alot behind the scenes especially related to wound site inflammation/bruising making healing process slower than normal when physically exert oneself.

Give yourself ample time relaxing, sleep lots ,movies or do gentle stretches rather than overloading physical demands… eventually you’ll be back doing burpees before we know it!

Watch What You Eat – Be Cautious!

It’s common after having tonsils removed that there are a few rules about what should not be consumed for period of time including:

• Spicy food items
• Acidic foods such as tomatoes or citrus
• Dry or crusty foods
• Hard crunchy sweets & treats

Avoiding these food groups lowers risk factors related towards infection/inflammation at operation sites further helping reinstate those mangled tubes into their healthy selves once again?

If any of following are happening after first 10 days since surgery reach out healthcare professional right away!

1.A fever beyond103°F

2.Significant unrelenting bleeding (where some blood spots appear in saliva/small clot compared worry free drops)

3.Extensive swelling only getting worse with longer duration over days.

Takeaway Message

Recovering from a tonsillectomy can feel daunting but keeping hydrated + avoiding all irritating foodstuffs will do wonders when on the mend:… Afterall who doesn’t enjoy a valid reason to catch some much needed Z’s for reasons besides A&W Rootbeer!