Is it true that eating fried foods can trigger tonsillitis?

Hermina's friend, who doesn't like eating fried food? Almost everyone likes to eat fried food. But is it true that eating fried food can trigger tonsillitis or tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis or tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils in the roof of the mouth in the Waldeyer ring, and is usually caused by the Epstein Barr virus. The infection spreads through the air (droplets) through hands and kissing. Tonsillitis can be classified based on the time it occurs, namely acute tonsillitis and chronic tonsillitis. Acute tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils caused by a bacterial or viral infection that occurs within 3 weeks. Chronic tonsillitis is a condition characterized by enlarged tonsils accompanied by repeated episodes of infection (Nizar, Qamariah, & Muthmainnah, 2016).

 

Causes and Symptoms of Tonsillitis or Tonsillitis
Inflammation of the tonsils is caused by bacteria, accompanied by symptoms of sore throat and increased body temperature. The throat will feel sore so that the sufferer finds it difficult to swallow and is generally weak. The tonsils appear red and swollen and the crypts are usually covered by a fibrous or purulent layer, which appears as white dots or white lines. The neck glands are usually enlarged so that they feel painful (P. Van den Broek, L. Feenstra. Debruyne, F. Marres, 2011).
Prevalence of Cases of Tonsillitis or Tonsillitis
WHO estimates that 287,000 children under the age of 15 years have tonsillitis, of which 248,000 (86.4%) will undergo tonsil removal and another 39,000 children (13.6%) will only undergo tonsillectomy (Ramadhan, Sahrudin and Ibrahim). , 2017).
Meanwhile, based on epidemiological data on ENT diseases in 7 Indonesian provinces in September 2012, the highest incidence of chronic tonsillitis after acute rhinosinusitis was 3.8% during the 2012-2013 period. In Indonesia, the number of outpatient visits for tonsillitis is ± 55,383 people, while the number of inpatients for tonsillitis is ± 37,835 people. (Ramadhan et al., 2017)

 

Several factors trigger the occurrence of tonsillitis
1. Age
Age is one of the factors in the occurrence of tonsillitis because the function of the tonsils will increase at the age of 3 years, then decrease and will increase again at the age of 10 years, then the size of the enlarged tonsils will increase again at the age of 11-20 years and then will decrease in line with increasing age. age, so that children are more susceptible to infection.
2. Habit of consuming foods containing MSG
MSG is a salt form of glutamic acid, which is also a food additive that is often used by Indonesians as a flavor enhancer. The use of high doses of glutamate is associated with various neuroendocrine and immune system disorders. Glutamate receptors play an important role in the pathogenesis of MSG-induced disorders. T lymphocytes can express several types of glutamate receptors that control the immune response, activation, maturation, and apoptosis or cell death. MSG also causes endothelial injury which causes a lack of absorption of blood cells and platelets, decreased circulation and thrombus formation (Siregar, 2019). Consuming excessive amounts of MSG can cause symptoms of itching and pain in the throat (Wahyuni ​​& Yuliawati, 2017).
3. Habit of consuming oily food
Apart from consuming foods that contain flavorings, continuously consuming oily foods can also cause symptoms of tonsillitis. The quality of cooking oil is determined by the smoke point, namely the heating temperature of the oil until unwanted acrolein is formed, this acrolein can cause an itchy feeling in the throat (Mita, 2017)
4. Drinking too much cold water
Consuming too much cold water can also trigger inflammation of the tonsils, because cold water can stimulate and stretch the epithelial cells in the tonsils so that over time it will cause tonsil hypertrophy (Wahyuni ​​& Yuliawati, 2017). Cold drinks can also cause vasoconstriction so that blood vessels shrink and the number of white blood cells decreases, thus making the tonsil immune work harder (Sari, Yuli Kusumawati, & Ambarwati, 2014).

 

From the explanation above, it can be concluded that the habit of consuming oily foods such as fried foods can be a trigger for Tonsillitis or Tonsillitis. If Friends of Hermina have complaints and want to consult with an ENT Specialist, you can contact our Admin 0821-3552-2454.

 

Reference :
Mita, Devi Nendes. (2017). Analysis of risk factors for chronic tonsillitis. UNIMUS.
Nizar, Muhammad, Qamariah, Nur, & Muthmainnah, Noor. (2016). Identification of Bacteria that Cause Chronic Tonsillitis in Pediatric Patients at the Entrance Department of Ulin Hospital, Banjarmasin. Medical Periodicals, 12(2), 197–204. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.20527/j bk.v12i2.1867
P. Van den Broek, L. Feenstra. Debruyne, F. Marres, H. A. .. (2011). Handbook of Throat, Nose and Ear Health Sciences, 12th edn, Edited by N. In Iskandar.
Ramadhan, Febri, Sahrudin, Sahrudin, & Ibrahim, Karma. (2017). Analysis of risk factors for chronic tonsillitis in children aged 5-11 years in the Puuwatu Health Center working area, Kendari City, 2017. Haluoleo University.
Rusli, Malahayati, Miralza Diza, and Alda Rizky. "The Relationship between Age and Food Consumption with Tonsillitis Symptoms in ENT Clinic Patients at H. Hanafie Muara Bungo Hospital." Medical Zone: Batam University Medical Education Study Program 12.1 (2022): 36-43.
Sari, Layla Tunjung, Yuli Kusumawati, S. K. M., & Ambarwati, S. Pd. (2014). Trigger factors for tonsillitis in children aged 5-6 years in the working area of ​​the Bayat Health Center, Klaten Regency. Muhammadiyah Surakarta university.
Siregar, Anggita Rahma Agusli. (2019). Relationship between risk factors and symptoms of tonsillitis in children at SDS Islam Annizam Medan.
Wahyuni, Sri, & Yuliawati, Ratna. (2017). Relationship between age, food consumption and oral hygiene with symptoms of tonsillitis in children at SDN 005 Sungai Pinang, Samarinda City.