Symptoms of inflammation of the adenoids in the nose in children
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Adenoids are a chronic inflammation in the nasopharynx, after which the hyperplasia of the lymphoid tissue of the pharyngeal tonsil develops.
Normally, adenoids represent a barrier at the entrance of air, overcrowded with microorganisms, among which can be found pathogens of various diseases. Here, a large number of immune cells are produced - lymphocytes, which neutralize the pathogenic flora. Therefore, with inflammation of the pharyngeal tonsils, the body's defense falls sharply and it is more susceptible to diseases.
The maximum number of cases of adrenal gland proliferation falls on the age from 1 year to 13-14 years.
The first signs of adenoids in children
One of the first signs of adenoid development is worsened nasal breathing, manifested only at night, during the early stages of the pathological process the baby breathes normally. It can also disturb a protracted runny nose, the discharge of serous fluid from the nasal passages, which has a light yellow transparent color. The child with adenoides has a stuffy nose. As a result of complicated breathing through the mouth, at night the child breathes through the mouth. Because of this, his sleep can become restless, with snoring or snoring. There are changes in the appearance and behavior of the child, which can be seen with the naked eye, but most parents do not think that this may be the reason to turn to an otolaryngologist. The face becomes pale, slightly puffy, swollen, lips often dry out, nasolabial folds are smoothed. Children may be less active, an apathetic mood prevails, frequent irritation and nervousness, restlessness. As a rule, the temperature with inflammation of adenoids in children is increased.
Infants are less likely to have this disease, but there are such cases. There are some characteristic symptoms of adenoids in children under 1 year old: a disturbed sucking reflex, a positive symptom of Geppert - in the soft palate there are reddened occluded mucous glands, a pronounced wet cough that can lead to suffocation attacks, hyperemia of the posterior palate.
Stages of adenoids
Depending on the magnitude of the growth of the pharyngeal tonsil, it is customary to distinguish 3 stages of adenoids. Some experts distinguish 4 stages, considering that stage 3 is the penultimate one, manifested by almost complete overlapping of the nasopharynx, and the latter - complete. The exact method for determining the degree of hypertrophy of the nasopharyngeal tonsil is radiography.
So, the stages of adenoids differ among themselves by the complexity of the symptoms:
Symptoms of adenoids of 1 degree in children - the pharyngeal tonsil increases in size and one third covers the nasopharyngeal opening. These signs are present at the onset of the disease and do not require surgical intervention. A child may be troubled by a runny nose, difficulty breathing through the nose at night, which causes the small patient to sleep with a slightly opened mouth. During the day, the symptoms of adenoids are absent, since the influx of venous blood does not increase in an upright position, contributing to a dyspnoeal breathing.
Symptoms of adenoids of the 2nd degree in children - adenoids cover from one third to one half of the nasal passage opening. The child can snore or snore at night. Breathing through the nose is difficult not only at night, but also in the daytime.
Symptoms of adenoids of the third degree in children - growth of lymphoid tissue contributes to a complete overlap of the nasopharynx, which makes nasal breathing impossible. Sometimes you can confuse 2 and 3 degrees of adenoids. If the child can sometimes breathe through the nose, then it is too early to diagnose the last degree of adenoids. The cause of this can be a stasis of serous fluid in the choana.
Symptoms of complications of adenoids in children
If the treatment is not performed on time, the increase in lymphoid adenoid tissue can have a number of complications:
- Deformation of the jaw bones: the lower part of the oral cavity hangs because of the predominant breathing through the mouth during the entire time of the day. It can change the external form of the face, although in order for such dramatic changes in the bone system to take place, a long time is needed. There is a so called "adenoid face" - a term in medicine that characterizes the deformities of the facial skeleton: the lower jaw is elongated and slightly lowered, the mouth is in a semi-open state, the upper incisors protrude sharply forward, the palate becomes high and narrow.
- The pathology of the speech device: due to the prevalence of oral breathing and the inability to breathe through the nose, changes occur in the jawbones, an incorrect bite develops and the child may have a speech disorder, he begins to nasalize and does not pronounce individual letters
- Inflammation of adenoids - adenoiditis, can occur in acute or chronic form
- Because of the violation of breathing - predominantly superficial - there is a deformation of the chest - so called "chicken breast", in which the sternum, ribs and costal cartilages protrude forward, creating the shape of the boat keel.
- The proliferation of adenoids can provoke the development of hypertrophy of the palatine tonsils, which leads to disturbed eating, chewing and swallowing of the food lump.
- Problems with the digestive system are directly related to the serous secret, which accumulates on the wall of the nasopharynx and is swallowed together with food in the gastrointestinal tract. It can also be accompanied by constipation, flatulence and lack of appetite.
- Hearing loss until the development of hearing loss occurs due to the overlap of enlarged pharyngeal tonsils of the eustachian tube that connects the nasopharynx and the ear.
- Otitis is an inflammation of the ear. The cause of frequent inflammatory processes is also the proliferation of adenoids, which are an excellent source of infections, and a decrease in the passage of the auditory tube for air.
- Frequently recurring cases of colds, since inflamed nasopharyngeal tonsils are a source of infection with viral and bacterial infections. With normal functioning in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, mucus is produced, due to the exit of which the organism is cleared of pathogenic pathogens. In adenoids, outflow is disturbed and this fluid stagnates, while microorganisms are not discharged outside and can cause frequent colds.
- The increase in adenoids leads to insufficient intake of oxygen in the brain, which is why the work of the central nervous system is inhibited. The child becomes drowsy, apathetic, irritable and less active, he is troubled by headaches, dizziness.
- A reduced amount of oxygen leads to a decrease in red blood cells and hemoglobin in the bloodstream, and as a result of inflammation, the number of leukocytes increases.
- The accumulation of mucus in the nasopharynx contributes to the development of pathogenic flora and the development of infection - tonsillitis, rhinitis, and sinusitis. Going down in the mucus, microorganisms can cause chronic pharyngitis, laryngitis, bronchitis.
Symptoms of inflammation of adenoids in children
Inflammation of adenoids in children manifests a similar symptomatic picture. Due to edema of adenoids in children, they are tormented by fever. From the nose can be secreted in the form of mucus or pus. Deterioration of nasal breathing leads to nasal congestion, snoring during sleep, nasal congestion. Also, the function of the sensory organs suffers: the hearing decreases, it is accompanied by the stuffiness of the ears. The child can interfere with coughing, most often dry, which is noticed in the morning, burning in the throat. Because of the accumulation of serous secretions in the nasopharynx and its downward flow, the feeling of a coma stuck in the throat does not leave, and it can be troubling the sore throat. Regional lymph nodes increase and become painful on palpation: submaxillary, cervical, occipital. A clear symptom of an increase in adenoids in a child, which an experienced physician can visually mark - "adenoid face." It is characterized by a slightly open mouth, drooping lower jaw and swelling of the face.
Cough in adenoids in children
One of the symptoms of inflammation of the pharyngeal tonsil is a dry cough. The reasons for its manifestation is considered a reflex to the irritant agent of nerve endings in the nasopharynx due to the accumulation and movement of mucosal secretions along the walls. It is often possible to confuse an adenoid cough with a cold disease. Here it is worth paying attention to the child's ability to breathe through the nose, the presence of deformities of the jaw bones, swelling. Dry cough in adenoids in children, if it has a chronic, sluggish form, it becomes permanent. Parents complain of a night cough, which is triggered by a decrease in breathing through the nose due to a prolonged stay in the supine position, drying out the nasopharyngeal mucosa. At the onset of the disease, a dry cough can go to a wet cough in a child with adenoids - this happens during the day during a period of draining of mucus in the posterior nasopharyngeal shell.
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Treatment of adenoids in children
To cure adenoids, the child should be prescribed a complex therapy, which will include:
- antibiotics for fighting infectious inflammation and for coughing off for a couple of days;
- to cure a cough in adenoids, the child will be helped by the coughing means, selected individually, depending on the type of cough;
- mucolytic drugs that dilute mucus;
- for the treatment of a cold in adenoids, the child will be assisted by instillation and washing of the nose, drops for narrowing the vessels;
- inhalation with mineral water, eucalyptus;
- quickly remove the swelling of the adenoids will help antihistamines that reduce the swelling of the nasopharynx;
- vitamin complexes to maintain immunity.
With adenoiditis, children have fever. In order to knock it down, it is necessary to carry out a complex treatment that will help in the fight against the inflammatory process and the temperature, as one of the signs of manifestation of inflammation, also disappears.
Also effective methods of treatment are laser therapy, homeopathy, physiotherapy, respiratory gymnastics, massage therapy. There is a surgical method to combat inflamed adenoids - adenotomy, but this operation can be prescribed only when all the medications failed to produce a result.