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The causes of adenoids in children
Last reviewed: 19.10.2021
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The causes of adenoids in children may be different, but for proper and effective treatment it is important to know not only the causes, but also the mechanisms of the development of this pathology. The spread of this problem among children is very wide, so you need to know how to prevent the development of this pathology.
What are adenoids and how do they occur?
Adenoids are a slightly nonspecific term that can not fully describe the problem. Under this name is due to the increase and hypertrophy of the pharyngeal tonsil of the nasopharynx. Since this amygdala in Latin is called adenoid, its increase is called adenoids or adenoid vegetations. The medical term that describes this problem is hypertrophy of the pharyngeal tonsil.
How does this hypertrophy occur? Tonsils are an accumulation of several hundred lymphatic cells, which immediately respond to a bacterium or virus, triggering an immune response. There are tons of such tonsils for every person, including a child, only six and the pharyngeal amygdala is one of them. The reasons for the increase in adenoids in children directly depend on the pathogenesis and function of the tonsils in the body.
The structure of the pharyngeal tonsil is identical to the other. It consists of a capsule and a reticular tissue. Reticular tissue has branches in the form of a tree, between the processes of which are lymphocytes. They have a different degree of maturity and accordingly take part in the immune response. Lymphocytes are the main immune cells that react when microbes enter the respiratory tract. The pharyngeal tonsil is located on the back wall of the pharynx at the top near the entrance to the back of the nasal cavity and it hangs freely. With its hypertrophy, its increase to different sizes is observed, and thus it closes the entrance to the nasal cavity and disrupts the air flow in the nasopharynx.
With the action of any cause on the amygdala, the same successive stages of its increase occur. The microbe, getting on the mucous membrane, immediately activates the release of these lymphocytes from the tonsils and with a small amount of these bacteria, when they have not yet had time to multiply, the lymphocyte absorbs it. So the local protective reaction of the mucosa takes place. Under the influence of certain factors, the number of mature "working" lymphocytes from the amygdala can not cope with the number of microbes. This causes the active centers to react and produce a little more "mature" lymphocytes. If this process occurs constantly and the tonsils work in such a voltage, then to ensure the function it is necessary that the number of cells increases. This makes the tonsil work at full strength. Such a process must be accompanied by hypertrophy to ensure the body's needs for local protection.
This is how the adenoids increase.
The main reasons for the development of adenoids
Given the pathogenetic features of adenoid development, it emerges from this that the main cause of constant stress in the work of the amygdala is frequent illness of the child. Frequent infections lead to a chronic inflammatory condition, which subsequently leads to hypertrophy of adenoid lymphoid tissue due to the constant need for protection. Therefore, the reason for the appearance of adenoids in a child in the nose in most cases is precisely such frequent infections.
Another reason for the development of adenoids can be considered a local allergic process in the form of chronic allergic rhinitis. This disease is characterized by an increase in the amount of IgE, which causes the body to produce many eosinophils and mast cells in response to allergies. These eosinophils infiltrate the amygdala, as the place of maturation of immunocompetent cells. This entails an increase in adenoids.
A very common cause of an increase in adenoids is chronic adenoiditis. The causes of inflammation of adenoids in children directly depend on frequent diseases and the constant maintenance of the local inflammatory process. A constant source of infection, located in the pharyngeal tonsil, makes them work more efficiently and accordingly increase in size.
Very important factors in the development of adenoids is a family history and a similar pathology in the child's parents. If the child was born with an abnormality of the bone marrow or an unprotected upper sky, this can lead to the development of adenoids.
Congenital or acquired immunodeficiencies in the child lead to the fact that local defenses must be strained. Therefore, the increase in adenoids and other tonsils can develop because of this pathology.
Pollution of the environment by heavy particles in highly urbanized areas leads to the fact that the filtration mechanism of the cilia of the epithelium of the respiratory tract decreases. Therefore, the tonsils should partially take on the function of such a purifying mechanism. Thus, excessive unsatisfactory factors of the environment can lead to the development of adenoids.
The causes of adenoid development in children are not limited to frequent respiratory infections. A very important role in this is played by the hereditary factor, the influence of environmental factors, the presence of chronic foci of infection in the child. All this must be taken into account in the treatment, because in the first place you need to influence the factors of development of adenoids, and only then to treat medication.