Adenoiditis and Adenoid Hypertrophy

The adenoid is a mass of tissue at the back of the nose above the tonsils. In order to see them, your physician can look through your mouth and view the back of your nose using a mirror, may choose to look with a flexible camera in the nose, or may use an x-ray.

The adenoid is lymphoid tissue similar to a lymph node. Like a lymph node it contains cells that help to fight infection and can swell in response to that infection. The adenoid is a part of a ring-shaped group of lymph node type tissue found around the back of the throat that includes the tonsils and tissue at the back of the tongue (known as Waldeyer's ring). Together, they act to help process infections in the nose and throat.


Adenoiditis

Unfortunately, sometimes the adenoid tissue gets infected and the infection can last for weeks or months. This is called adenoiditis. Symptoms of adenoiditis may include a runny or stuffy nose, post-nasal drip, headache, or cough. Usually adenoiditis responds to antibiotics taken by mouth. If antibiotics fail to get rid of the infection, the adenoid tissue may have to be removed.


Adenoid Hypertrophy

In most children, the adenoid enlarges normally during early childhood, when infections of the nose and throat are most common. They usually shrink as the child gets older and disappear by puberty. However, in some children, the adenoid continues to become larger and block the passage behind the nose. Symptoms may include snoring, breathing through the mouth, or speech that sounds like talking with a blocked nose. This can also contribute to otitis media (middle ear infections) because of blockage of the eustachian tube (the tube that connects and drains the ear to the back of the nose).

Please also read about adenoidectomy and adenoidectomy post-op instructions.