What are Adenoids

The adenoids are referred to as nasopharyngeal tonsils. These are basically lymphoid tissue located behind the nasal cavity, at the upper region of the nasopharynx near the Eustachian tubes. Tonsils are masses of lymphoid tissue located on either side of the throat. Together, the tonsils and adenoids form the ring of lymphoid tissue called Waldeyer's ring.

It is believed that they provide protection against the disease-causing agents by trapping them, and producing antibodies. They are a part of the immune system. Their growth span ranges between 3 to 7 years.

After that, they tend to reduce in size and by the time adolescence is reached, they are barely noticeable. Though we can easily see the tonsils, adenoids cannot be seen because of their location. They can be seen only by a doctor who uses a small flexible telescope or a mirror placed at the back of your mouth.

They play an important role in fighting disease-causing agents, especially during childhood, when the immune system is still developing. They filter the bacteria and viruses that enter the body through the nose. They produce antibodies that help fight infections. They can swell up, while they are fighting infections and trapping pathogens.

Adenoids, as well as tonsils can get inflamed due to recurrent infections. Swelling can interfere with breathing, causing the child to breathe through the mouth. Various symptoms that could be experienced under such cases.

These include intermittent sleep apnea, bad breath, snoring, recurrent ear infections, and nasal congestion. In some cases, there could be development of fluid in the middle ear due to obstruction.

In severe cases, these might have to be removed by a simple surgery called adenoidectomy. In this procedure, the patient is given general anesthesia. Once they are removed, a gauze pad is pressed at the back of the nose to stop the bleeding.

After the procedure, the patient might have a sore throat and sore jaw, which can be treated with painkillers. One may recover completely within a week or two. In some cases, the patient may vomit blood after coming home, this is normal as they may have ingested some blood after the surgery. However, if they keep vomiting blood, medical help must be sought.

If one develops breathing or hearing problems due to adenoid glands, the doctor may suggest a suitable treatment. If you have any further questions, consult your family doctor for more details.