When do enlarged tonsils become a threat to a child"s health?

Tonsil Hypertrophy in Children: Why Timely Diagnosis Can Save Health

Enlarged tonsils are becoming an increasingly common problem among children, especially those living in metropolitan areas. Specialists warn: without proper attention, this condition can lead to serious complications, including dangerous breathing disorders.

As reported by TUT.AZ, Russian otolaryngologist Aligusein Aliev provided detailed information about the problem of tonsil hypertrophy in children.

According to the specialist, there are several tonsils in the human body: the pharyngeal tonsil (known as adenoids) in the nasopharynx and the palatine tonsils in the oropharynx. Children attending kindergartens and schools face a high antigenic load daily — numerous viruses, bacteria, and allergens. It is this load that provokes swelling and proliferation of the lymphoid tissue of the tonsils.

Enlarged tonsils create serious obstacles for normal nasal breathing, forcing the child to breathe through the mouth. Bacterial biofilms form on the surface of the tonsils, which cause frequent runny nose and otitis. Of particular concern is obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) — a condition in which sudden breathing stops occur during sleep, which negatively affects the child's development and academic performance. In addition, prolonged impairment of nasal breathing can lead to delayed jaw development, formation of a characteristic "adenoid" facial type, and posture problems.

Parents should pay attention to the following alarming signs: frequent runny nose, snoring, the habit of sleeping with an open mouth, and episodes of breathing cessation during sleep. Treatment tactics are determined by the severity of hypertrophy and the presence of complications. For accurate diagnosis, painless and highly informative flexible endoscopy of the ENT organs is used.

In some cases, surgical intervention is required — removal of adenoids, possibly with trimming of the palatine tonsils or their complete removal. Modern minimally invasive techniques significantly reduce the rehabilitation period. Absolute indications for adenoid removal are: OSAS that does not respond to therapy, frequent acute otitis media (three in six months or four per year), unresolved exudative otitis media (three months or more), myofunctional disorders including deformation of the bite and skull, as well as frequent recurrent sinusitis. Relative indications include delayed speech development, enuresis, increased fatigue, decreased academic performance, snoring, and restless sleep.

Palatine tonsils are subject to removal in cases of frequent tonsillitis, disorders in the functioning of target organs (heart, joints, kidneys), history of peritonsillar abscesses, as well as in cases of so-called "kissing tonsils" — when the palatine tonsils touch each other.