What to eat after tonsillectomy: Nigerian foods that help and foods to avoid

Why eating matters

It is tempting to stop eating because swallowing hurts. That is the wrong way round. Regular eating and drinking keeps the throat moving, keeps you hydrated, and helps the healing areas clean themselves. Children and adults who stop drinking get dehydrated, the pain gets worse, and they sometimes need to come back to hospital.

Take painkillers regularly, as prescribed, about half an hour before meals so eating hurts less. Do not wait for the pain to become severe before taking the next dose. Never give aspirin to a child.

Soft foods that work well

• Pap (ogi, akamu) or custard, cooled to lukewarm
• Mashed yam, mashed potato, or soft boiled plantain mashed with a little stew without pepper
• Soft white rice, jollof made mild, or rice with a light stew
• Scrambled or boiled eggs
• Indomie or spaghetti, well cooked and soft, without much pepper
• Soft moi moi without too much pepper
• Yoghurt, ice cream, and cold milk if it suits you
• Soft bread soaked in tea or warm milk, once the tea has cooled
• Pawpaw or ripe banana, mashed

Drinks

Drink little and often through the day. Water, cool tea, cold milk, and oral rehydration solution are good. Watch a child's urine: if it is dark or they have not passed urine for many hours, they are not drinking enough.

What to avoid for the first two weeks

• Very hot food and drinks, including hot pepper soup and freshly made pap
• Pepper, suya spice and very spicy stews
• Acidic drinks and fruit: orange, lemon, pineapple, zobo with lemon, and fizzy drinks if they sting
• Hard or sharp foods: chin-chin, plantain chips, crackers, roasted corn, groundnuts, kuli kuli, fried fish bones
• Alcohol and smoking, which slow healing

What is normal in the first two weeks

Most people need around two weeks off school or work. Keep away from people with coughs and colds in that time.

• Pain that often gets worse for a few days before it gets better
• Earache, because the throat and ears share nerves
• White or yellow patches where the tonsils were. This is healing, not pus
• Bad breath
• Tiredness

When to go to hospital at once

• Any bright red blood or blood clots from the mouth or nose, even a small amount. Go straight to the hospital and call the surgeon's team on the way
• Spitting or vomiting blood, or swallowing a lot and vomiting dark material
• Not drinking for many hours, or a child who is floppy or drowsy
• A high fever that does not settle, or pain that suddenly gets much worse

Common questions