05/03/2024
ADENOID HYPERTROPHY
What is adenoid?
Adenoid is a gland situated in the nasopharyngeal that is the space behind our nose above our throat. It is a lymphoid organ just like the tonsil and is part of the Waldeyer’s ring which is a ring formed by lymphoid organs of our throat. The adenoids help to maintain immunity in children up to the age 2 years after which it becomes redundant and starts to regress in size.
What is Adenoid Hypertrophy?
In some children, the adenoid glands become enlarged and tend to cause airway obstruction .
This is Adenoid Hypertrophy.
What are the symptoms and complications of Adenoid Hypertrophy?
Adenoid Hypertrophy leads to breathing issues in children so that they find it difficult to breathe with their nose and hence breathe with their mouth. They always have a nasal blockage.
Furthermore they develop snoring , and a condition called obstructive sleep apnoea in which there is paucity of oxygen reaching the brain . This leads to increase daytime sleepiness in children . They become irritable, have less concentration and in severe cases their growth is also hampered.
Mouth breathing also affects dentition, leading to bucked teeth ,poor dentition, even high arched palate
What is the treatment for Adenoid Hypertrophy?
Conservative treatment with nasal sprays to reduce the size of Adenoids can be tried but in severe cases , it is better to surgically remove the adenoids.
Speaking in medical jargon , grade 3- grade4 adenoids which cause airway obstruction need to be surgically removed.
In the present day, Adenoid removal is done under vision, ie, with the aid of endoscopes and with technologies such as coblation where there is less bleeding and faster recovery. Complications are almost nil.
So if a child is breathing with their mouth or is snoring , one should make a visit to an ENT surgeon and get the child examined
