MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Enlarged adenoids

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Enlarged adenoids

Contents of this page:
Illustrations Alternative names Definition Causes, incidence, and risk factors Symptoms Signs and tests	Treatment Expectations (prognosis) Complications Calling your health care provider Prevention

Illustrations

Throat anatomy

Adenoids

Alternative names Return to top

Adenoids - enlarged

Definition Return to top

The adenoids are lymphatic tissue in the back of the nose, similar to the tonsils. If the adenoids become enlarged, it can cause cause mouth breathing, snoring, bad breath, and chronic runny nose. It can also cause health-threatening conditions such as sleep apnea, pulmonary hypertension, and right-sided heart failure.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top

Enlargement of the adenoids may occur naturally (beginning during fetal development), or it may be caused by long-term inflammation.

Symptoms Return to top

Mouth breathing (mostly at night)
Dry mouth
Cracked lips
Mouth open during day (more severe obstruction)
Bad breath
Persistent runny nose or nasal congestion
Frequent ear infections
Snoring
Restlessness while sleeping
Intermittent sleep apnea

Signs and tests Return to top

A physical examination of the throat confirms that the tonsils are enlarged. The adenoids cannot be seen by looking in the mouth directly, but can be seen with a special mirror or using a flexible endoscope through the nose.

Tests may include:

X-ray (side view of the throat)
Sleep apnea studies (severe cases only)

Treatment Return to top

Surgical removal of the adenoids (adenoidectomy) will prevent complications, and will cure complications if they already exist from enlarged adenoids. Antibiotics may be used to treat tonsil, adenoid, and sinus infections when they occur.

Expectations (prognosis) Return to top

Full recovery is expected. Right-sided heart failure is reversible when the sleep apnea and airway obstruction are treated.

Complications Return to top

Calling your health care provider Return to top

Call your health care provider if your child has difficulty breathing through the nose. Call if the child has other symptoms discussed above.

Prevention Return to top

Treating throat infections early may prevent the adenoids from becoming enlarged from long-term infection and inflammation. Adenoidectomy prevents the complications of long-term airway obstruction.

Update Date: 5/6/2003

Updated by: Jason Newman, M.D., Department of Otolaryngology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, Washington, DC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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