Adenoids in a child - who should you contact for inflammatory processes in the nose? Clinical medicine about headaches with adenoiditis in children Adenoids can cause headaches.

Adenoids are found mainly in children from 3 to 12 years old and cause a lot of discomfort and trouble for both the children themselves and their parents, and therefore require immediate treatment. Often the course of the disease becomes complicated, after which adenoiditis occurs - inflammation of the adenoids.

Adenoids in children can appear in early preschool age and persist for several years. In middle school they usually decrease in size and gradually atrophy.

Adenoids do not occur in adults: the symptoms of the disease are characteristic only of childhood. Even if you had this disease as a child, it does not return in adulthood.

Reasons for the development of adenoids in children

What it is? Adenoids in the nose in children are nothing more than the growth of tissue in the pharyngeal tonsil. This is an anatomical formation that is normally part of the immune system. The nasopharyngeal tonsil holds the first line of defense against various microorganisms seeking to enter the body with inhaled air.

During illness, the tonsil enlarges, and when the inflammation subsides, it returns to its normal appearance. In the case when the time between diseases is too short (say, a week or even less), the growths do not have time to decrease. Thus, being in a state of constant inflammation, they grow even larger and sometimes “swell” to such an extent that they block the entire nasopharynx.

The pathology is most typical for children aged 3–7 years. Rarely diagnosed in children under one year of age. Overgrown adenoid tissue often undergoes reverse development, so adenoid vegetations practically do not occur in adolescence and adulthood. Despite this feature, the problem cannot be ignored, since an enlarged and inflamed tonsil is a constant source of infection.

The development of adenoids in children is promoted by frequent acute and chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract:,. The triggering factor for the growth of adenoids in children can be infections - influenza, etc. A syphilitic infection (congenital syphilis) can play a certain role in the growth of adenoids in children. Adenoids in children can occur as an isolated pathology of lymphoid tissue, but much more often they are combined with tonsillitis.

Among other reasons leading to the occurrence of adenoids in children, there is increased allergization of the child’s body, hypovitaminosis, nutritional factors, fungal invasions, unfavorable social and living conditions, etc.

Symptoms of adenoids in the nose in a child

In a normal state, adenoids in children do not have symptoms that interfere with normal life - the child simply does not notice them. But as a result of frequent colds and viral diseases, adenoids tend to enlarge. This happens because, in order to fulfill its direct function of retaining and destroying microbes and viruses, the adenoids are strengthened through proliferation. Inflammation of the tonsils is the process of destroying pathogenic microbes, which is the reason for the increase in size of the glands.

The main signs of adenoids the following can be mentioned:

• frequent prolonged runny nose, which is difficult to treat;
• difficulty breathing through the nose even in the absence of a runny nose;
• constant mucous discharge from the nose, which leads to irritation of the skin around the nose and on the upper lip;
• inhales with the mouth open, the lower jaw droops, the nasolabial folds smooth out, the face acquires an indifferent expression;
• poor, restless sleep;
• snoring and wheezing during sleep, sometimes holding your breath;
• lethargic, apathetic state, decreased academic performance and performance, attention and memory;
• attacks of night suffocation, characteristic of adenoids of the second or third degree;
• constant dry cough in the morning;
• involuntary movements: nervous tics and blinking;
• the voice loses sonority, becomes dull, hoarse; lethargy, apathy;
• complaints of headache, which occurs due to lack of oxygen supply to the brain;
• hearing loss - the child often asks again.

Modern otolaryngology divides adenoids into three degrees:

• 1st degree: the child’s adenoids are small. In this case, during the day the child breathes freely, difficulty breathing is felt at night, in a horizontal position. The child often sleeps with his mouth slightly open.
• 2nd degree: the child’s adenoids are significantly enlarged. The child is forced to breathe through his mouth all the time and snores quite loudly at night.
• 3rd degree: the child’s adenoids completely or almost completely block the nasopharynx. The child does not sleep well at night. Unable to restore his strength during sleep, he gets tired easily during the day and his attention is distracted. He has a headache. He is forced to constantly keep his mouth open, as a result of which his facial features change. The nasal cavity stops ventilating, and a chronic runny nose develops. The voice becomes nasal, speech becomes slurred.

Unfortunately, parents often pay attention to deviations in the development of adenoids only at stages 2-3, when difficult or absent nasal breathing is pronounced.

Adenoids in children: photo

We offer detailed photos for viewing of what adenoids look like in children.

Treatment of adenoids in children

In the case of adenoids in children, there are two types of treatment - surgical and conservative. Whenever possible, doctors try to avoid surgery. But in some cases you cannot do without it.

Conservative treatment of adenoids in children without surgery is the most correct, priority direction in the treatment of hypertrophy of the pharyngeal tonsil. Before agreeing to surgery, parents should use all available treatment options to avoid adenotomy.

If the ENT insists on surgical removal of the adenoids, do not rush, this is not an urgent operation when there is no time for reflection and additional observation and diagnosis. Wait, watch the child, listen to the opinions of other specialists, make a diagnosis after a few months and try all conservative methods.

Now, if drug treatment does not give the desired effect, and the child has a constant chronic inflammatory process in the nasopharynx, then for consultation you should contact operating doctors, those who perform the adenotomy themselves.

Grade 3 adenoids in children – to remove or not?

When choosing between adenotomy or conservative treatment, one cannot rely solely on the degree of proliferation of the adenoids. With grade 1-2 adenoids, most people believe that there is no need to remove them, but with grade 3, surgery is simply necessary. This is not entirely true, it all depends on the quality of the diagnosis; there are often cases of false diagnosis, when the examination is carried out against the background of an illness or after a recent cold, the child is diagnosed with grade 3 and is advised to remove the adenoids promptly.

And after a month, the adenoids noticeably decrease in size, as they were enlarged due to the inflammatory process, while the child breathes normally and does not get sick too often. And there are cases, on the contrary, with 1-2 degrees of adenoids, the child suffers from constant acute respiratory viral infections, recurrent otitis, sleep apnea syndrome occurs - even 1-2 degrees can be an indication for removal of the adenoids.

The famous pediatrician Komarovsky will also talk about grade 3 adenoids:

Conservative therapy

Complex conservative therapy is used for moderate uncomplicated enlargement of the tonsils and includes treatment with medications, physical therapy and breathing exercises.

The following drugs are usually prescribed:

1. Antiallergic (antihistamine)– tavegil, suprastin. They are used to reduce the manifestations of allergies, they eliminate swelling of the nasopharyngeal tissues, pain and the amount of discharge.
2. Antiseptics for topical use– collargol, protargol. These drugs contain silver and destroy pathogenic microflora.
3. Homeopathy is the safest known method, which combines well with traditional treatment (however, the effectiveness of the method is very individual - it helps some well, but poorly for others).
4. Washing. The procedure removes pus from the surface of the adenoids. It is performed only by a doctor using the “cuckoo” method (introducing a solution into one nostril and suctioning it out of the other with a vacuum) or a nasopharyngeal shower. If you decide to do rinsing at home, push the pus even deeper.
5. Physiotherapy. Quartz treatment of the nose and throat, as well as laser therapy with a light guide through the nose into the nasopharynx, are effective.
6. Climatotherapy - treatment in specialized sanatoriums not only inhibits the proliferation of lymphoid tissue, but also has a positive effect on the child’s body as a whole.
7. Multivitamins to strengthen the immune system.

Physiotherapy procedures include heating, ultrasound, and ultraviolet light.

Removal of adenoids in children

Adenotomy is the surgical removal of the pharyngeal tonsils. The attending physician can best tell you how to remove adenoids in children. In a nutshell, the pharyngeal tonsil is grasped and cut off with a special instrument. This is done in one motion and the whole operation takes no more than 15 minutes.

An undesirable method of treating the disease for two reasons:

• Firstly, adenoids grow quickly and, if there is a predisposition to this disease, they will become inflamed again and again, and any operation, even something as simple as adenotomy, is stressful for children and parents.
• Secondly, the pharyngeal tonsils perform a barrier-protective function, which, as a result of the removal of the adenoids, is lost to the body.

In addition, in order to perform an adenotomy (that is, removal of the adenoids), it is necessary to have indications. These include:

• frequent relapse of the disease (more than four times a year);
• recognized ineffectiveness of conservative treatment;
• the appearance of respiratory arrest during sleep;
• the appearance of various complications (glomerulonephritis,);
• nasal breathing disorders;
• very frequent repeating;
• very frequent recurring acute respiratory viral infections.

It is worth understanding that surgery is a kind of undermining of the immune system of a small patient. Therefore, for a long time after the intervention it must be protected from inflammatory diseases. The postoperative period is necessarily accompanied by drug therapy - otherwise there is a risk of tissue regrowth.

Contraindications to adenotomy are some blood diseases, as well as skin and infectious diseases in the acute period.

They represent the formation of lymphoid tissue that forms the basis of the nasopharyngeal tonsil. The nasopharyngeal tonsil is located in the nasopharynx, so during a normal examination of the pharynx this tissue is not visible. In order to examine the nasopharyngeal tonsil, special ENT instruments are required.

Adenoids, or more correctly - adenoid vegetations (adenoid growths) - a widespread disease among children from 1 year to 14-15 years. Adenoids most often occur between the ages of 3 and 7 years. Currently, there is a trend towards identifying adenoids in younger children.

Adenoid grades

There are three degrees of enlargement of the pharyngeal tonsil:

Pathological changes in the body associated with adenoids do not always correspond to their size.

As a result of high constant bacterial contamination and the failure of the child’s immune system, an increase in adenoid tissue occurs, as if compensating for the infectious load by increasing the number (not quality!) of immune cells. But due to the loss of the immunogenesis link - the formation of effector cells, the immune system remains powerless even against weakly aggressive flora.

Neighboring lymph nodes, being collectors of this area, become clogged with bacteria, which leads to impaired lymph drainage and stagnation. Poor lymph circulation thereby aggravates local immune defense. Let's not forget that adenoid tissue is lymphoid tissue, i.e. an immune organ that protects the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx and pharynx.

Inflammatory and immunopathological processes in adenoid tissue lead to the fact that adenoids turn into a focus of infection, which can spread to both neighboring and distant organs.

With adenoids, children often suffer from chronic vasomotor rhinitis, sinusitis, eustacheitis (modern tubo-otitis), otitis media, bronchitis, and asthma. Adenoids also lead to neurological disorders, such as headaches, dizziness, sleep disturbances, bedwetting, epilepsy, disorders of the cardiovascular system, and gastrointestinal tract.

This is explained by impaired nasal breathing, the occurrence of congestion that impedes the outflow of venous blood and lymph from the cranial cavity, neuro-reflex mechanisms, and a violation of the autonomic system (vegetative-vascular dystonia).

The formation of facial bones (adenoid type of face - habitus adenoideus) and teeth are also disrupted, speech formation is slowed down and disrupted, and there is a lag in physical and mental development. The general condition of the child is disturbed - fatigue, tearfulness, sleep and appetite disturbances, pallor. And, despite these obvious signs, many parents do not pay attention to the ill health of their child or look for a different reason.

Having worked for a long time in a children's hospital in the ENT department, we can say that every second child came already with complications, advanced. But some of the listed complications can be persistent and irreversible, and leave a mark on the condition of the body of an adult.

Symptoms of adenoids

The initial symptoms of adenoids are difficulty in nasal breathing and nasal discharge. Due to difficulty in nasal breathing, children sleep with their mouths open and snore; As a result, sleep is disturbed.

The result of insufficient sleep is lethargy, apathy, weakened memory, and schoolchildren's academic performance decreases. Hearing decreases, voice changes, young children have difficulty mastering speech. One of the constant symptoms of adenoids is persistent headaches.

In advanced cases of adenoids, the mouth is constantly open, the nasolabial folds are smoothed, which gives the face a so-called adenoid expression. Twitching of facial muscles and laryngospasm are observed.

Prolonged unnatural breathing through the mouth leads to deformation of the facial skull and chest, shortness of breath and cough occur, and anemia develops due to reduced blood oxygenation. Adenoicitis (inflammation of an enlarged pharyngeal tonsil) often occurs in young children.

Treatment of adenoids

Adenoid removal

Most often, parents are concerned about the need for surgery to remove adenoids. Fear and anxiety are caused by both the fact of surgical intervention itself and everything that is associated with it - possible complications, pain relief during surgery, etc.

However, today there is only one effective method of treating adenoids - adenotomy - removal of the adenoids. This operation should be performed as early as possible from the moment the presence of adenoids is diagnosed, but, it should be noted, only if there are indications.

There are no medicines, “drops” or “pills”, medical procedures or “conspiracies” that could save a child from adenoid growths. Convincing parents of this is often very difficult. For some reason, parents do not perceive such a simple fact that adenoid growths are an anatomical formation.

This is not swelling, which can arise and disappear, not an accumulation of fluid, which can “dissolve,” but a fully formed “body part,” such as an arm or leg. That is, “what has grown has grown,” and “it” is not going anywhere.

It's a different matter when it comes to chronic inflammation of the adenoid tissue, which is called adenoiditis. As a rule, this condition is combined with an increase in adenoid tissue, but not always. So, in its pure form, adenoiditis is subject to conservative treatment.

The operation should be performed only when all therapeutic measures have proven ineffective, or in the presence of a combination of adenoiditis and adenoid vegetations. Another pressing question that almost all parents ask is whether adenoids may reappear after surgery.

Relapses of adenoids

Unfortunately, relapses (re-growth of adenoids) are quite common. This depends on a number of reasons, the main ones of which will be listed below. The most important thing is the quality of the adenoid removal operation.

If the surgeon does not completely remove the adenoid tissue, then even from the remaining “millimeter” the adenoids may re-grow. Therefore, the operation should be performed in a specialized children's hospital (hospital) by a qualified surgeon.

Currently, the method of endoscopic removal of adenoids through special optical systems using special instruments under vision control is being introduced into practice. This allows the adenoid tissue to be completely removed. However, if a relapse does occur, you should not immediately blame the surgeon, as there are other reasons.

Practice shows that if adenotomy is performed at an earlier age, then the likelihood of recurrence of repeated adenoids is higher. It is more advisable to perform adenotomy in children after three years of age. However, if there are absolute indications, the operation is performed at any age.

Most often, relapses occur in children who suffer from allergies. It is difficult to find an explanation for this, but experience proves that this is so. There are children who have individual characteristics characterized by increased proliferation of adenoid tissue.

In this case, nothing can be done. Such features are determined genetically. Very often, the presence of adenoid vegetations is combined with hypertrophy (enlargement) of the palatine tonsils.

These organs are located in a person's throat and can be seen by everyone. In children, parallel growth of the adenoids and palatine tonsils is very often observed. Unfortunately, in this situation, the most effective method of treating adenoids is surgery.

Questions and answers on the topic "Adenoids"

Question:Is it worth removing adenoids for a child (10 years old)? Do they grow again?

Answer: There are clear indications for the removal of adenoids, in particular, severe difficulty in nasal breathing, often recurrent inflammatory diseases of the ENT organs (otitis, sinusitis, frequent inflammation of the adenoids themselves - adenoiditis). The decision on the need for surgery is made by the ENT doctor together with the pediatrician.

Question:The child was diagnosed with adenoids. Doctors said there was no cure for them, and cutting them out did not guarantee that they would stop growing. They say that only active sports activities will save the baby from the misfortune. Is it so? If yes, which sport do you prefer?

Answer: There are few chances to get rid of adenoids only through active sports, but the position of doctors is very wise. At least this option is more promising than weekly visits to ENT doctors and constant experiments with swallowing pills and endless drops in the nose.

Question:Is it better to remove adenoids or treat them? What is the approach of doctors today?

Answer: If the pharyngeal tonsil is slightly enlarged and there are contraindications for removal, conservative therapy is used. The main indications for surgery are the 2nd and 3rd degrees of true hypertrophy of the pharyngeal tonsil with predominant growth in the direction of the pharyngeal mouths of the auditory tubes, constant difficulty in nasal breathing, general and local disorders (hearing loss, recurrent average and chronic purulent otitis, tubootitis, exudative otitis, lack of effect from conservative treatment of frequent viral infections, inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, pneumonia, deformation of the facial skeleton, chest, urinary incontinence, etc.). The intervention is most often performed on 5–7 year old children. With a sharp disruption of nasal breathing and deterioration of hearing - and at an earlier age, right up to infancy. Adenotomy is contraindicated for blood diseases, infectious and skin diseases.

Question:We have been suffering with adenoids for a whole year now, while we are sitting at home everything is fine, as soon as we go to the garden, it will worsen, tell me how to treat them, is it worth having an operation?

Answer: Adenoids are treated by an ENT doctor; it is not advisable to give you any advice without a direct examination. Take your child to an ENT specialist, who will recommend the best treatment for you.

Question:The doctor diagnosed him with grade 2-3 adenoid hypertrophy. What do you recommend doing? How to treat? Or just surgery?

Answer: The only effective treatment for grade 2-3 adenoids is surgery. If your doctor recommends that you have surgery, agree.

Question:What herbal remedies or folk remedies can treat grade 1 adenoids in a 5-year-old child (he snores in his sleep and his mouth is open). He also has rashes on his tonsils (he gets sick often - tonsillitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis). Thank you in advance.

Answer: We do not recommend that you treat adenoids with herbal preparations or traditional methods. Adenoids are partly an allergic disease, so the use of herbal preparations containing plant pollen can aggravate the child’s condition. Be sure to show your child to an ENT doctor and carry out treatment under his supervision.

14.12.2005, 11:38

A 10-year-old girl began to experience severe headaches every time she exercised.
For example, after physical education lessons. The same thing happened after going to the theater with the class and sledding down the mountain.
Medicines do not help relieve pain.
Sometimes sleep helps, but not always - the same headache in the morning.
This started in September 2005.
There was no TBI.
Please tell me what diagnostic procedures to carry out first, what the possible diagnoses may be.
Simply put: what’s wrong with the child and what to do?
We went to the doctors, first, as always, VSD.

14.12.2005, 12:11

Answer, please:
- Is the headache accompanied by anything else (vomiting, blurred vision...)?
- Does the girl wake up FROM pain or does the headache occur after waking up?
- Does anyone in your family suffer from migraines?
- Does the headache occur only after exercise, or at rest too?
- how strong is she (i.e. does the girl refuse to watch a television program or play on the computer, or communicate with a friend, etc. because of pain)?
- Was there a history of an acute viral illness with fever, runny nose, cough some time before the onset of headaches?
- weight, height, presence/absence of initial signs of sexual development.
And the last (for now) question. What has already been done, besides a general examination, and what are its results?

14.12.2005, 17:46

Dr.Ira, thank you very much for drawing attention to our problem. The answers are:
- Nausea happens
- Sometimes wakes up with pain, but not from pain
- No, no one in my family suffers from migraines
- At rest too
- Refuses, but not always
- No. But she has large adenoids - 2nd degree + low blood pressure (lowest recorded 55/80, usually 60/90)
- 27 kg, 132 cm, no
What has already been done:

14.12.2005, 19:59

But she has large adenoids - 2nd degree + low blood pressure (lowest recorded 55/80, usually 60/90)
- 27 kg, 132 cm, no
What has already been done:
Cardiogram - low pulse rate (frequency as for an adult).
Blood - from a finger - everything is in order.
Neurologist - no pathologies.
1) Adenoids can cause headaches.
2) I would not say that 90/60 is hypotension for a 10-year-old girl.
3) There is no such thing - low heart rate. How many per minute? Are there any other changes on the ECG?
4) It is very important that the examination by a neurologist is without pathology.
More questions: Can the girl describe exactly where it hurts and how it hurts?

14.12.2005, 20:25

More questions: Do you yourself notice anything unusual in your behavior, speech, gait, have you experienced frequent falls or unsteadiness when walking? Has your weight changed? Did the ophthalmologist look (at the fundus)? Plus, what exactly is on the ECG (just in case)?

15.12.2005, 10:08

Hello Dr. W.N., dr.Ira.
The answers are:
-The ECG transcript is very illegible, it says sinus rhythm with a frequency of 73 V/s and then it is illegible. However, if necessary, we will scan and post it a little later.
-Headache in the frontal part.
-Coordination is not impaired, weight has not changed.
-The ophthalmologist hasn’t looked yet, let’s follow the trail. week.

15.12.2005, 10:55

15.12.2005, 15:17

Indeed, let's go first
to an ENT and an ophthalmologist, and then we’ll see what happens next.
Thanks a lot.

15.12.2005, 21:39

Let the ENT specialist also take a look. Adenoids, headaches in the frontal part of the head... - maybe there. common sinusitis.
I agree, maybe. But you shouldn’t forget about going to a neurologist.

16.12.2005, 12:14

I agree, maybe. But you shouldn’t forget about going to a neurologist.
Tell me please, is a neurologist the same as a neurologist?
If yes, then we have already been there and it turns out there are no pathologies.

16.12.2005, 23:40

Same. Let's hope nothing is missing.

19.12.2005, 09:52

It may be worth consulting another neurologist. Still, neurologists at the place of residence are not always sufficiently qualified...

17.02.2006, 10:01

1) Adenoids can cause headaches.

And so it turned out.
Hello, it's us again with our headache.
We heard a lot of rumors that if you remove the adenoids, it will supposedly be no better,
or maybe worse. Allegedly, they will still grow back and the child will walk around snotty all the time.
In general, we need your opinion, dear doctors: should the child’s adenoids be removed or not in our case?

17.02.2006, 11:11

LarisaG - good question! You describe the torment of your child, and then ask: is it worth torturing further or not? Sorry for the harshness.

Enlarged adenoids can, in addition to headaches, cause a lot of other troubles and maintain an “infectious background”. Yes, they can grow again, but this will happen in 3 - 4 years, not earlier. During this time, the girl will grow up, and believe me, she will only become healthier. And you will forget about headaches, nausea and runny nose, like a bad dream.

17.02.2006, 11:23

denis_doc, thank you very much for your answer.
We don’t want to torment, we want to do the best.

Dear doctors, is there another opinion?

17.02.2006, 19:12

I support denis_doc

05.02.2007, 11:44

Hello, dear doctors!
Our medical history, unfortunately, continues...
About six months ago, my adenoids were removed.
My head doesn't seem to hurt anymore.
But now we see the following:
-nose doesn't breathe
- snot flows
- blood flows frequently and quite profusely from the nose...
Please assume that this is happening to the girl now.
We contacted an ENT specialist and would like to receive your answers on the forum, dear doctors.

06.02.2007, 20:30

Do you have a recent blood test with platelets? There are no other signs of increased bleeding: skin rashes, bruises?

07.02.2007, 00:42

Dr.Ira., I apologize for the interference, correct (or delete) the post if I’m wrong. I observed exactly the same symptoms in my youngest daughter. The problems started when school started. Given the problems with the eldest, we started with a neurologist and a cardiologist, and also found nothing. But the gastroenterologist discovered gastroduodenitis. After the course of treatment for gastroduodenitis, both headaches and irritability went away.
P.S. I had to give up meals at school, since it was precisely this that caused the disease.
A neurologist gave a referral to a gastroenterologist, citing similar (not isolated) cases in his practice.
The message is intended only for Dr.Ira, I do not claim that this is a similar disease, but given that the child was examined by other specialists, this version may be confirmed.

Impaired nasal breathing, copious secretion of mucous secretion that fills the nasal passages and flows into the nasopharynx, chronic swelling and inflammation of the nasal mucosa. Due to difficulty in nasal breathing, children sleep with their mouths open; sleep is often restless and accompanied by loud snoring; children get up lethargic and apathetic. Schoolchildren often experience a decline in academic performance due to weakening memory and attention. Adenoids, closing the pharyngeal openings of the Eustachian (auditory) tubes and disrupting the normal ventilation of the middle ear, can cause hearing loss, sometimes significant. Speech is distorted, the voice loses sonority and takes on a nasal tone. Young children have difficulty mastering speech. There are frequent complaints of persistent as a result of obstructed outflow of blood and lymph from the brain, caused by congestion in the nasal cavity. Constant discharge of mucous secretion from the nose causes maceration and swelling of the skin of the upper lip, and sometimes eczema. The mouth is constantly open, the lower jaw droops, the nasolabial folds are smoothed out, the facial expression in the later stages is unclear, saliva flows from the corners of the mouth, which gives the child’s face a special expression called “adenoid face” or “external adenoidism.” Constant breathing through the mouth leads to deformation of the facial skull. Such children may have an abnormal bite and a high, so-called Gothic palate. As a result of prolonged difficult nasal breathing, the chest is deformed, becoming flattened and sunken. Ventilation of the lungs is impaired, blood oxygenation decreases, the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin content decreases. With adenoids, the activity of the gastrointestinal tract is disrupted, anemia, bedwetting, choreo-like movements of the facial muscles, laryngospasm, asthmatic attacks, and coughing attacks develop.

Description

Adenoids, mainly in childhood, can occur independently or more often in combination with acute inflammation of the palatine tonsils, acute adenoiditis (angina of the pharyngeal tonsil), in which body temperature can rise to 39 ° C and above, a feeling of dryness, rawness, burning in the nasopharynx appears.

Along with a runny nose and nasal congestion, patients experience congestion and sometimes pain in the ears and a paroxysmal cough at night. Regional lymph nodes (submandibular, cervical and occipital) are enlarged and painful on palpation. In young children, signs of general intoxication and dyspepsia may appear. The disease lasts 3-5 days. A common complication of acute adenoiditis is eustachitis, otitis media.

Due to frequent respiratory diseases, acute adenoiditis, especially with severe allergies, chronic adenoiditis occurs. This is characterized by a disturbance in the general condition of the patient, the child becomes lethargic, loses appetite, and vomiting often occurs during meals. The flow of mucopurulent discharge from the nasopharynx into the underlying respiratory tract causes a persistent reflex cough, especially at night. Body temperature is often subfebrile, regional lymph nodes are enlarged. The inflammatory process from the nasopharynx easily spreads to the paranasal sinuses, pharynx, larynx, and underlying respiratory tract, as a result of which children often suffer from bronchopulmonary diseases.

Diagnostics

For recognition, posterior rhinoscopy, digital examination of the nasopharynx and x-ray examination are used. By size, adenoids are divided into three degrees: I degree - small adenoids, covering the upper third of the vomer; II degree - adenoids of medium size, covering two thirds of the vomer; III degree - large adenoids, covering the entire or almost the entire vomer. The size of the adenoids does not always correspond to the pathological changes they cause in the body. Sometimes grade I - II adenoids cause severe difficulty breathing through the nose, hearing loss and other pathological changes. Adenoids are differentiated from juvenile fibroma of the nasopharynx and other tumors of this area. Difficulty breathing through the nose occurs not only with adenoids, but also with a deviated nasal septum, hypertrophic rhinitis, and neoplasms of the nasal cavity.

Treatment

Treatment is surgical. The indications for surgery are not so much the size of the adenoids as the resulting disorders in the body. In children with allergic diathesis who are prone to allergies, adenoids often recur after surgical treatment. In such cases, the operation is performed against the background of desensitizing therapy. For grade I adenoids without significant breathing problems, conservative treatment can be recommended - instillation of a 2% protargol solution into the nose. General tonics include fish oil, oral calcium supplements, vitamins C and D, and climatic treatment.

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