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Adenoiditis

Published by Bupa's health information team, May 2009.

This factsheet is for parents of children who have adenoiditis.

Adenoiditis is an infection of your child's adenoids - the small lumps of tissue at the back of a child's throat. Adenoids usually disappear by the time you're in your late teens. So adenoiditis usually only affects younger children.

• About adenoiditis
• Symptoms of adenoiditis
• Complications of adenoiditis
• Causes of adenoiditis
• Diagnosis of adenoiditis
• Treatment of adenoiditis
• Questions and answers
• Related topics
• Sources

About adenoiditis

Adenoids are small lumps of tissue in the back of a child's throat that help fight ear, nose and throat infections. It's thought that after the age of about three, your adenoids are no longer needed. Adenoids usually reach their maximum size when your child is between three and five years old, then begin to shrink by age seven and have usually disappeared completely by the age of 15.

The location of the adenoids

Adenoiditis is an infection of your child's adenoids. The infection can cause your child's adenoids to swell up. Sometimes they swell up so much that they block the nose and make it difficult for your child to breathe, especially when asleep.

Symptoms of adenoiditis

You may not notice if your child has adenoiditis. The symptoms of the condition are similar to those of a common cold, and may include:

• blocked or runny nose
• sore throat
• bad breath
• trouble breathing through the nose

However, if your child keeps getting repeat attacks of adenoiditis, or has an infection for a long time, the adenoids can become very swollen. They may then block your child's nose and the eustachian tube (the tube connecting the back of the throat to the middle ear), leading to the following symptoms:

• snoring
• sleep apnoea (when you briefly stop breathing while you're asleep, causing you to wake up)
• having to breathe through the mouth (as the nose is blocked)
• middle ear infections and glue ear (a build up of sticky fluid in the middle ear)

These symptoms may become worse whenever your child catches a cold or other virus.

Complications of adenoiditis

Enlarged adenoids caused by adenoiditis can sometimes lead to more severe problems if left untreated.

If your child's sleep is being affected by swollen adenoids, you may notice personality changes such as irritability and behavioural problems. Older children may suffer from night sweats or wet the bed.

In a young child, sleep apnoea may lead to poor growth and development. This is because your child may have trouble eating if his or her adenoids are so swollen it makes it hard to breathe when he or she eats. He or she may also use up more energy on trying to breathe properly.

If your child's adenoids are very enlarged, severely blocking his or her nose, there is a chance that it could eventually lead to heart and lung problems if the problem isn't treated. However, this is very rare.

Having to breathe through the mouth may also affect the way your child's face develops as he or she grows. If enlarged adenoids are not treated, affected children may develop a long and narrow face and have problems in the way in which they bite.

Causes of adenoiditis

Adenoiditis usually develops after a cold or a throat infection. Either a virus or a bacterium may cause the infection.

Diagnosis of adenoiditis

Your GP will ask about your child's symptoms and examine him or her for signs of adenoiditis and other throat infections. Your GP may also ask you about your child's medical history.

Sometimes the GP may take a swab from your child's throat, which will be sent to a laboratory to test if the infection is caused by bacteria.

If your child has had persistent symptoms of enlarged adenoids, your GP may refer him or her to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon for further investigation.

The surgeon may examine your child's adenoids by using a light and mirror to look in the back of his or her mouth. However he or she will not always be able to see the adenoids in this way. Your child may need to have an X-ray to check the size of his or her adenoids.

Treatment of adenoiditis

Medicines

If your child's adenoiditis is caused by a virus, it will usually go away by itself, and will not need any specific treatment. However, you can give your child paracetamol if he or she needs it, to relieve his or her symptoms. Always remember to read the patient information leaflet that comes with the medicine.

If the adenoiditis is caused by a bacterial infection, your GP may prescribe antibiotics.

Your GP may also advise that your child tries a steroid nasal spray. This can sometimes help to reduce congestion in the nose and adenoids.

Surgery for enlarged adenoids

If your child has enlarged adenoids, the ENT surgeon will discuss your child's treatment options with you.

Your child's adenoids will shrink as he or she gets older. So you may decide to wait and see if your child's nose and ear problems get better over time, rather than having surgery.

However, if your child's adenoids have swollen up so much that he or she is having problems breathing through the nose, or is getting repeated sore throats or ear infections, your surgeon may advise that your child has an operation to remove the adenoids.

Surgery to remove the adenoids is called adenoidectomy (see Related topics). Adenoidectomy is a very safe procedure, which involves removing the adenoids through your child's mouth.

If your child is having the procedure because of ear problems, he or she may also have grommets put in at the same time. Your child's tonsils may also be taken out at the same time as the adenoids. This is called an adenotonsillectomy. Your surgeon will explain what type of procedure he or she plans to carry out beforehand.

Related topics

• Adenoid removal in children (adenoidectomy)
• Adenoid and tonsil removal in children (adenotonsillectomy)
• Tonsillitis

Sources

• Adenoid surgery. ENT.UK - British Association of Otorhinolaryngologists - Head & Neck Surgeons. www.entuk.org, accessed 14 January 2009
• Adenoid hypertrophy. GP Notebook. www.gpnotebook.co.uk, accessed 14 January 2009
• Roland NJ, McRae RDR, McCombe AW. Key Topics in Otolaryngology. Oxford: Bios Scientific Publishers Ltd, 1995:13-15
• Gross CW, Harrison SE. Tonsils and adenoids. Pediatr Rev 2000; 21(3):75-78
• Simon C, Everitt H, Kendrick T. Oxford Handbook of General Practice. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005:850-851

This information was published by Bupa's health information team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been peer reviewed by Bupa doctors. The content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.

Publication date: May 2009