According to statistics, nearly 50% of children of preschool and primary school age suffer from adenoids . Most often, the nasopharyngeal tonsil grows at the age of 3 - 7 years. It is traditionally believed that after eight to nine years of age, adenoid growths decrease in size and by the age of sixteen they practically disappear. However, this is not always the case. An unfavorable ecological situation, poor nutrition (in particular, the presence of foods abundant in preservatives and dyes on the menu), and the violation of the microclimate in residential premises (excessively dry and warm air) lead to the fact that at present, adenoids of sufficiently large sizes are found even in twenty thirty years old.
The appearance of adenoids is promoted by frequent colds (tonsillitis, acute respiratory viral infections), as well as childhood infections (measles, scarlet fever). Increases the likelihood of their growth and a tendency to allergic reactions. Heredity also matters: if at least one of the parents had adenoid growths, they will most likely be in the child. Their inflammation, adenoiditis, is manifested by difficulty in nasal breathing and fever, and often - purulent discharge from the nose. Earlier, the removal of adenoids was practiced quite often, however, modern methods of their treatment in many cases can do without surgery.
There are several degrees of adenoid growths. With the first of them, the lightest, they are treated conservatively, with the second - both options are possible. Adenoids of the third degree are treated operatively, since usually there is a significant difficulty in nasal breathing, and in many cases otitis media, which can even lead to a gradual decrease in hearing. A child suffering from third-degree adenoids often catches a cold, as he constantly breathes with his mouth open. He may develop sinusitis, headaches can overcome him. Children with overgrown adenoids snore in a dream, they may experience sleep disturbances. In advanced cases, the child develops stable deformations of the jaw bones. In the presence of the above symptoms, waiting for the child to “outgrow” the adenoids and they begin to decrease in size, at least unreasonable.
Adenoid removal can be done in several ways. The traditional method is the least sparing, while the adenoid tissue is simply cut off with a special ring-shaped knife. With this method of conducting the operation, although occasionally, damage to the palate is still possible, especially since it is most often performed using only local anesthesia. A more reliable method is the removal of adenoids by the endoscopic method, using a special set of tools. It is carried out under general anesthesia, and the surgeon can see everything that is happening on the screen. This eliminates the possibility of error and allows you to remove the nasopharyngeal tonsil completely, which eliminates the reappearance of adenoids. With the traditional method of conducting the operation, in many cases they grow again. However, it should be borne in mind that the removal of adenoids under general anesthesia can be recommended not for all children.
Today, there are many methods of conservative treatment of adenoids: these are various physiotherapy, as well as washing the nasal cavity and instillation of special funds in the nasal passages. The exact treatment regimen should be prescribed by an ENT doctor. Well-recommended, in particular, drugs JOB-baby, IRS-19, "Nazonex." Many parents note the positive effect of using thuja oil for adenoids - they drip it into the nasal passages for two weeks, one drop 2-3 times a day. However, this method is suitable only for those who do not have allergies. Any conservative treatment methods are indicated for adenoids of the first or second degree, while in the third it is necessary to remove adenoids, since in most cases their treatment does not give any effect.
In many cities, there is the possibility of laser treatment of the disease. In this case, their local drug treatment and laser therapy are usually combined. Depending on the degree of adenoids, 7 to 15 procedures may be required. A huge advantage of this method is that the nasopharyngeal tonsil is preserved, since it performs a protective function. This method effectively eliminates adenoiditis, the nasopharyngeal tonsil acquires normal dimensions and ceases to interfere with breathing. Complete removal of adenoids by laser is usually not practiced.