The adenoid glands sit behind your nose above the roof of your mouth. Air passes over these glands when you take a breath. These small lumps of tissue make up part of the immune system for babies and young children. Along with the tonsils, they form part of the ‘first line of defense’, which protects the body from infections. Their job is to guard the body against viruses and bacteria by fighting off infections. Adenoids usually shrink after about age 5, and by the teenage years they often practically disappear. However, even though they are used to fight off infection, they are often removed in young children during a surgery called an adenoidectomy.
What is an Adenoidectomy?
The term adenoidectomy simply refers to the removal of the adenoids through surgery. One concern many parents have is that without the adenoids, their child may become sick more often. It is important to note that most physicians will not remove adenoids on extremely young children, and there is a possibility that the adenoids will regrow once they are removed. Further, many children have their tonsils removed simultaneously with the adenoids.
What Causes the Need for an Adenoidectomy?
Because your adenoids work to fight off infection, then tend to trap the germs, which can cause them to swell up. In most instances, this swelling will reduce on its own, returning the adenoids to their normal size. Unfortunately, there are instances where the adenoids do not return to normal, and do require a surgery to remove them – adenoidectomy. You child’s doctor will look for certain symptoms, such as stuffy nose, ear problems, difficulty sleeping, snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and swollen glands in the neck, to help determine if an adenoidectomy is required.
Indeed, it is hard for a child with enlarged adenoids to breathe through the nose. This is true for two reasons: on the one hand, the adenoids block the flow of air through the nose; while on the other hand, it is blocked by the swelling of mucus membrane in the nose. Edema severely constricts the respiratory passages and can ultimately cover the adenoids themselves, at which point the nose ceases breathing altogether. That is to say, the problem consists of two parts: enlarged adenoids, which cannot be reduced in most cases once they grow, and edema of the mucosa, which can be reduced. If the edema goes away, a child will once again be able to breathe through the nose, while the adenoids themselves typically atrophy by the age of 12.
What Happens After Surgery?
Many people believe that following an adenoidectomy, the patient is less likely to have respiratory tract infections, including colds and sinusitis. Unfortunately, this is not the case. This is because the adenoids have no role in how often a person contracts a respiratory tract infection. If you are concerned about your child’s adenoids, or want to discuss their removal, you should talk to your child’s pediatrician, or visit an ear, nose, throat (ENT) doctor.
Knowing that enlarged adenoids can lead to more serious health problems, physicians frequently suggest that this vital immune organ be removed. However, often this does not solve the underlying problem. While a short-term improvement is noted after surgery, the adenoids may grow back. The child’s immune system again attempts to protect the body by enlarging the adenoids, and again, this is diagnosed as an illness. Another operation may be recommended.
Alternatives to Adenoidectomy
Enlarged adenoids are a defense mechanism of the body to hyperventilation, and eliminating this compensatory reaction often entails the development of more serious health problems. At Clinica Buteyko™ Moscow, decades of clinical experience have shown that the enlargement and inflammation of adenoids in children is always associated with the presence of hyperventilation. By restoring normal respiratory function in a child, it is possible to avoid the surgical removal of adenoids. The Buteyko™ Breathing Normalization programs, taught by Breathing Normalization Specialists, help to achieve this goal.
Breathing Normalization Specialists, however, are not medical doctors; they are educators, and therefore cannot make a decision regarding surgery. A Breathing Normalization Specialist teaches children and their parents how to normalize breathing by eliminating hyperventilation. Usually, this significantly improves a child’s health, and as a result the surgery becomes unnecessary. However, this must be confirmed by a medical doctor. The final decision regarding surgery should always be made by parents and their child’s physician.
If you would like to learn more about an alternative to an Adenoidectomy, our holistic program, Adenoids without Surgery, and whether your child is a candidate, contact the Breathing Center, Holistic Health Improvement. Call to schedule a consultation today 800-520-3450.
