Enlarged Adenoids Overview
Learn About Enlarged Adenoids
The adenoids are lymph tissues that sit in your upper airway between your nose and the back of your throat. They are similar to the tonsils.
Enlarged adenoids means this tissue is swollen.
Adenoids - enlarged
Enlarged adenoids may be normal. They may grow bigger when the baby grows in the womb. The adenoids help the body prevent or fight infections by trapping bacteria and germs.
Infections can cause the adenoids to become swollen. The adenoids may stay enlarged even when you are not sick.
Children with enlarged adenoids often breathe through the mouth because the nose is blocked. Mouth breathing occurs mostly at night, but may be present during the day.
Mouth breathing may lead to the following symptoms:
- Bad breath
- Cracked lips
- Dry mouth
- Persistent runny nose or nasal congestion
Enlarged adenoids may also cause sleep problems. A child may:
- Be restless while sleeping
- Snore a lot
- Have episodes of not breathing during sleep (sleep apnea)
Children with enlarged adenoids may also have more frequent ear infections.
Many people with enlarged adenoids have few or no symptoms and do not need treatment. Adenoids shrink as a child grows older.
Your provider may prescribe antibiotics or nasal steroid sprays if an infection develops.
Surgery to remove the adenoids (adenoidectomy) may be done if the symptoms are severe or persistent.
Ent Specialists,llc
Adam French is an Otolaryngologist in Covington, Georgia. Dr. French and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Enlarged Adenoids. His top areas of expertise are Infant Hearing Loss, Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss, Deafness Hypogonadism Syndrome, DFNB1, and Gastrostomy. Dr. French is currently accepting new patients.
Northside Surgical Professional Services LLC
John Song is an Otolaryngologist in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Song and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Enlarged Adenoids. His top areas of expertise are Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Salivary Gland Tumors, Tongue Cancer, Glossectomy, and Thyroidectomy. Dr. Song is currently accepting new patients.
Ear,nose,and Throat Of Northwest Georgia
Raymond Howard is an Otolaryngologist and a Plastic Surgeon in Rome, Georgia. Dr. Howard and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Enlarged Adenoids. His top areas of expertise are Sinusitis, Empyema, Tinnitus, and Otitis. Dr. Howard is currently accepting new patients.
Contact your provider if your child has trouble breathing through the nose or other symptoms of enlarged adenoids.
Published Date: August 05, 2023
Published By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Chi DH, Tobey A. Otolaryngology. In: Zitelli BJ, McIntire SC, Nowalk AJ, Garrison J, eds. Zitelli and Davis' Atlas of Pediatric Physical Diagnosis. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 24.
Wetmore RF. Tonsils and adenoids. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 411.