Each parent had to hear his child "grunt" with his nose. The reason for this behavior can be anything: a cold, a bacterial infection, an allergic reaction, a congenital anomaly in the structure of the nose, and so on. An ENT doctor will help to assess the condition of the baby and take measures aimed at eliminating these factors. One of the diagnoses that is heard by parents is chronic adenoiditis in children. Today you can find out a lot of useful information about this disease.
A few words about pathology
Chronic adenoiditis in children, the symptoms and treatment of which will be presented to your attention, is caused by a number of factors. The cause of its occurrence can be a viral disease, a bacterial infection, an allergy, or even a banal hypothermia. As soon as immunity decreases, chronic adenoiditis (in children) worsens. Therefore, often a commonplace cold requires complex treatment.
In fact, adenoiditis is an inflammation of the nasopharyngeal tonsil. It is not visible to the ordinary eye, therefore, the pathological process can be recognized only by certain symptoms. However, an ENT doctor can easily examine the lymphoid tissue and tell you about its condition. In most cases, chronic adenoiditis is caused by improper or untimely treatment of the acute form of the disease.
As many parents see the disease: symptoms
Parents can easily skip chronic adenoiditis in children (tonsil photo is for your reference). Many mothers and fathers mistakenly believe that inflammation of the nasopharyngeal tonsil is always accompanied by fever, cough, green snot and other signs similar to colds. But this is far from the case.
Often, pathology can occur in a form hidden from parents. That is, the otolaryngologist will definitely see the disease. Even the pediatrician during the next preventive examination is able to suspect pathology. Parents are waiting for some obvious signs of the disease to begin treatment.
It also happens that a child has acute adenoiditis. Incorrect treatment or lack thereof leads to the fact that the disease becomes chronic. Severe symptoms are eliminated, and parents mistakenly believe that the child has recovered. How to determine that your pupil has chronic adenoiditis? In children, symptoms can be overt and latent. Consider them.
What can you discover yourself?
Unfortunately, parents cannot reliably make this diagnosis if they do not have a medical education. But you must be alert for the following symptoms:
- the baby does not breathe through his nose, his mouth is always open;
- in a dream, a child can make whistling sounds (from panting to snoring);
- sleep becomes restless, anxious;
- the baby's working capacity decreases, the craving for new knowledge disappears;
- the child is apathetic, emotional, moody;
- voice gets hoarse notes.
In an exacerbated form, chronic adenoiditis in children has the following symptoms: runny nose with copious separation of thick mucus (sometimes it can produce an unpleasant odor), fever, headaches. A prolonged lack of treatment forms the so-called adenoid face. In this case, you can observe a child with smooth nasolabial folds, a change in the shape of the skull and malformation of the bite. Immediately, reassured relatives should be reassured: if chronic adenoiditis is treated correctly, these symptoms will not appear in children.
Signs diagnosed by a doctor
As you already know, only an experienced doctor can determine the problem for sure. Show the baby to the otolaryngologist. During the examination, a specialist can see the following signs of the disease:
- thick mucus flows down the back of the throat (it may be cloudy, greenish or purulent);
- nasal passages are hyperemic, inflamed and swollen;
- redness of the periopharyngeal ring;
- an increase in tonsils in the throat and lymph nodes located near the focus of infection;
- eczema at the base of the nasal passages.
On palpation, the doctor palpates the enlarged tonsil. It can be slightly more than normal, average or completely block nasal breathing. In accordance with this diagnosis, the stage of the disease is established. In the future, the doctor takes a smear for a laboratory test. Its result will show which microorganisms caused the pathology and which drugs can eliminate it.
Is it necessary to treat chronic adenoiditis?
You can hear from some parents that they are not willing to treat chronic adenoiditis in children. Symptoms - say mom and dad - will go away on their own with age. And in some cases, this opinion is correct. But doctors do not recommend completely abandoning therapy. It is necessary to treat exacerbation of adenoiditis and to regularly prevent it. In fact, this pathology is indeed age-related. Chronic adenoiditis affects more often than children from 3 to 7 years. This is exactly the age when a child begins to enter large groups (kindergartens). It's no secret that kids often get sick there. Thus they gain immunity. Despite all the conclusions and reasoning about the pathology, it will be useful for each parent to know how to treat chronic adenoiditis in a child.
Topical preparations
A disease such as chronic adenoiditis in a child (3 years or older) involves continuous cleansing of the tonsils. If you do not carry out such procedures, then the bacteria will multiply continuously. This process will lead to the fact that lymphoid tissue will become an independent source of the disease, the carrier of infection. Now there are plenty of convenient means for washing the nasal passages and cleansing adenoids in children (Aquamaris, Dolphin, Aqualor, Rinostop). All of them can be used without a doctor's prescription. With a latent course of the disease, it is enough to carry out hygiene procedures in the morning and in the evening. But an exacerbation of the pathology involves washing the nasal passages up to 6-8 times a day, followed by the use of medications.
Chronic purulent adenoiditis in a child involves the use of antimicrobial agents, antiseptics and anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Isofra is an antibiotic for topical use. Available in the form of a spray, but, turning the bottle over, can be used as drops.
- "Polydex" is a drug with an antibacterial effect, which has the ability to facilitate breathing (due to the content of phenylephrine in it). Allowed for children from 2.5 years.
- “Protargol” or “Sialor” - drops based on silver ions. They have a drying, antiseptic effect. They are used from birth (if there are no contraindications).
- Avamis is a corticosteroid drug. It has anti-inflammatory, decongestant effect. Appointed from 2 years.
- “Pinosol” is a herbal oil medication that has a regenerative and anti-inflammatory effect. Assigned to children from 3 years.
Vasoconstrictive drops should not be used in the treatment of chronic adenoiditis. You can apply them no more than 3-5 days, and after this time all the symptoms of the disease will return. The use of such drugs in this case is useless.
Antibiotics - is there a need?
Exacerbation of chronic adenoiditis in children almost always requires the use of antibacterial drugs. Ideally, if before their appointment, the doctor sends the child for analysis - bacteriological culture. Thanks to this study, the drugs will be selected as accurately as possible. The diagnostic result will show which medications are able to eliminate the pathogen.
Often, doctors do without such troubles. They simply prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics, given the age of the child. Practice shows that macrolides (Sumamed, Azitrus, Azithromycin) have become effective drugs in the treatment of chronic inflammation of the pharyngeal tonsil . If the child has a high temperature, it is better to use penicillins ("Augmentin", "Amoxiclav", "Flemoxin"). Remember that all antibiotics should be prescribed by a doctor. Giving such funds to the baby yourself, you can harm him.
Boost your baby’s immunity
In the treatment of chronic adenoiditis, the child needs vitamins. If possible, it is better to get them from natural products: vegetables and fruits. Vitamin C is found in many citrus fruits, herbs, cabbage. It helps maintain immunity, strengthens the protective function. Vitamins of group B are involved in hematopoiesis, it is important during tissue regeneration. Vitamin E present in fish and some nuts will speed up the healing of the tonsils. If you cannot provide good nutrition, then you need to give your child vitamin complexes. Which ones are suitable for your child - the doctor will tell. It can be Vitrum, Multitabs, Vitamishki, Pikovit tablets or something else. It is important to choose a complex in accordance with age.
Disputes about the possibility of using immunomodulators in chronic adenoiditis have not subsided to this day. Many modern doctors prefer to prescribe such drugs as Reaferon, Interferon, Likopid or homeopathy Aflubin, Anaferon. Other specialists are inclined to the fact that such drugs do not allow the immune system to recover on its own. Giving immunomodulators or not is a personal matter for each parent.
Surgery
Through surgery, chronic adenoiditis in children can be corrected . Treatment reviews have different. Some parents say that the child had adenoids removed, after which all problems were resolved. Others report that the operation was wasted, as after a while everything was back to square one. Perhaps this is the fault of the doctors who perform the operation?
One way or another, adenotomy is performed under general anesthesia. With the help of long forceps, the tonsils are only partially removed. Manipulation is carried out without any incisions, access is through the pharynx and nostrils. An indication for surgical intervention is the final stage of the disease, when the child's nasal breathing is completely blocked by inflamed adenoids.
Chronic adenoiditis in children: treatment (Komarovsky)
What can a famous pediatrician say about a known illness? Many parents, grandparents, listen to Yevgeny Komarovsky. The doctor says that adenotomy is an extreme measure, which, to put it mildly, is not welcome for several reasons:
- adenoids are tonsils that perform an important protective function of the body;
- surgical intervention is a serious stress for the child and his parents;
- there is no guarantee that after a while the tonsils will not grow again (and this will be only your fault, not a medical mistake).
It is impossible to completely cure chronic adenoiditis in children with surgery. Komarovsky in his programs talks about how to improve the condition of the child. The specialist tells the story of preventive methods that will help reduce the frequency of relapses. And after a while (with age), you can completely forget about what adenoiditis is.
Disease prevention
Preventive measures should be carried out continuously. The main recommendations that doctors give are as follows.
- Hardening enhances the body's resistance. The procedures can be very different: from walking on the floor barefoot to dousing with cold water. Choose individual events for your child.
- Nutrition and plenty of drink. A whole complex of vitamins and minerals is required to enter the baby's body. Food should be healthy and varied. Regular drinking prevents the tonsils from being colonized with pathogens.
- Treatment of the nose with bacterial lysates. The well-known drug "Irs-19" contains microorganisms that will help prevent frequent colds and a runny nose.
- Reception of bacteriophages. These agents are viruses that effectively kill germs and bacteria. Bacteriophages are an innovation, but now have proven themselves on the good side.
- A trip to the resorts. It is useful for the child to breathe sea air. If possible, visit the sanatorium. Some children are given free treatment tickets for certain indications.
Dr. Komarovsky recommends organizing comfortable conditions for the baby. It is necessary to ventilate the room in which the child is more often. Warm and dry air promotes the propagation of pathogenic microorganisms, so the temperature in the room should not be higher than 23 degrees, and humidity should not be lower than 60%.
For additional recommendations regarding the treatment of chronic adenoiditis and the prevention of its exacerbation, contact your doctor.