Very often, parents seek help from a pediatric otolaryngologist if their baby is suspected of hypertrophy or inflammation of the pharyngeal tonsil. Statistics show that this disease occurs in half of all cases of diagnosed diseases of the ENT organs among preschool and primary school children. Such an ailment, depending on the degree of its severity, can provoke difficulties or a complete absence of nasal breathing. Often, the middle ear becomes inflamed, hearing is reduced, and other serious consequences appear. For the treatment of adenoids in a child, surgical, medical methods, as well as physiotherapy procedures are used. In this article, you can find out how adenoids are checked in a child, what are the causes of the disease, and how to treat it.
General definition
Adenoid is called the pharyngeal tonsil. It is located in the nasopharynx. It is this amygdala that produces cells of the immune system and lymphocytes that help protect the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx from various infections.
Causes of inflammation
How are adenoids checked in a child? First of all, the specialist must find out the main reason for their increase in the baby. Most often they are as follows:
- Hereditary predisposition to this disease.
- Untreated airway inflammation.
- Chronic inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.
- Weakened immune system.
Signs and symptoms
And what are the signs and symptoms of inflammation of the adenoids in a child? These should include:
- Most of the time, the baby breathes not through the nose, but through the mouth.
- Rhinitis lasts for a long time and does not respond to therapy.
- Rhinitis may not be present, but breathing will be difficult.
How are adenoids checked in a child?
If you notice your baby has difficulty breathing, as well as snoring, then you need to seek help from a pediatric otolaryngologist. It is he who will examine the patient. But how are adenoids checked in a child? The presence of adenoids can be determined by the following diagnostic methods:
- Rhinoscopy. This procedure is an examination of the nasopharynx using a special medical mirror.
- X-ray. Thanks to thisthe procedure can determine the degree of development of the disease.
- Endoscopy. This diagnostic procedure is an examination during which a special device is used - an endoscope, which helps to determine not only the presence of adenoids, but also their size.
- Finger examination.
- Diagnostic examination using a bacteriological smear taken from the nasopharynx.
Endoscopy
So, we looked at how to check if a child has adenoids, what diagnostic procedures are used for this. However, it is worth taking a closer look at some of them.
How are adenoids checked in children with an endoscope? One of the advantages of this procedure is its clarity. Thanks to endoscopy, the parent can see enlarged adenoids in the baby on the screen with his own eyes. During endoscopy, the specialist determines the degree of vegetation and overlap of the auditory tubes and nasal passages, the cause of the enlargement of the adenoids, the presence of swelling, mucus, pus, as well as the condition of nearby organs.
The whole procedure is carried out under local anesthesia, because the specialist, during the examination, inserts a long tube into the nasal passage of the child, the thickness of which is about 3 mm. At the end of the tube is a camera. All this gives the baby very painful and unpleasant sensations. That is why local anesthesia is used during the diagnosis.
Digital examination and radiography
Talking about howcheck the adenoids in children with a finger, as well as using x-rays, you should pay attention to the fact that such procedures are practically not used today. Both methods are harmful to the child's body, in addition, they do not give an idea of why the pharyngeal tonsil has increased.
Rhinoscopy
And how to check the degree of adenoids in a child using rhinoscopy? In the case of anterior rhinoscopy, the specialist carefully examines the nasal passages, expanding them with a special nasal mirror. To analyze the condition of the adenoids, the doctor asks the baby to swallow and also pronounce the word "lamp". During this, the palate contracts, which provokes the fluctuation of the adenoids.
How does an ENT check adenoids in children using posterior rhinoscopy? During this procedure, the adenoids and nasopharynx are examined through the oropharynx using a special mirror. This diagnostic method is highly informative, thanks to it it is possible to assess the size and condition of the adenoids in the baby. However, the child may experience a gag reflex, as there is a very unpleasant sensation during the diagnosis.
How to check the adenoids in a child, you now know. But what will be the therapy of this disease?
Features of treatment
The treatment technique for enlarged adenoids in a child will be determined by their degree, the development of complications, and the severity of symptoms. For this, physiotherapy, medication can be used.treatment, as well as traditional medicine.
Medicines
Therapy of adenoids with drugs is effective for grade 1 adenoids. It is rarely used for grade 2 neoplasms. At grade 3, drug therapy is performed only if the patient has contraindications for surgical intervention.
Drug treatment is aimed at relieving swelling, inflammation, eliminating the common cold, strengthening the immune system, as well as improving the condition of the nasal cavity. The following medicines are used for this:
- Vasoconstrictor drops: "Farmazolin", "Galazolin", "Sanorin", "Nafthyzin".
- Antihistamines: Suprastin, Diazolin, Erius, Loratadine, Fenistil.
- Hormonal anti-inflammatory nasal sprays: Nasonex, Flix.
- Antiseptic local remedies, as well as nasal drops: Collargol, Protargol, Albucid.
Recipes of traditional medicine
Very effective are also proven folk remedies for adenoids in a child. They can be used only after consultation with the ENT at the initial stage of the disease, when it is not accompanied by any complications. The most effective remedy is the process of washing the nose with a solution with the addition of sea s alt. Herbal decoctions of oak bark, calendula, flowers are also often used for this.chamomile, eucalyptus leaves, which have antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and astringent effects.
When using medicinal herbs, it is necessary to take into account the fact that they can provoke an allergy in a child, which will further aggravate the course of the disease.
Physiotherapy treatments
Physiotherapy in case of inflammation of the adenoids is used in conjunction with the use of medications to increase their effectiveness. Most often, small patients are prescribed laser therapy. The usual course of treatment includes 10 sessions. Every year, it is recommended that the child carry out 3 courses of therapy. Low-intensity laser radiation will help reduce swelling and inflammation, normalize breathing, and also have an antibacterial effect. In addition, the effect extends not only to the formed adenoids, but also to nearby tissues.
In addition to laser therapy, ultraviolet irradiation, UHF on the nose area can also be used. Sometimes ozone therapy, electrophoresis with the use of drugs is prescribed.
In addition, for the treatment of adenoids in a child, breathing exercises, spa treatment, seaside vacations, and climatotherapy are used.
Complications in a child
In the absence of adequate and timely treatment of adenoids in a baby, especially grades 2 and 3, complications of various kinds appear. Among them it is worth highlighting:
- chronic inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
- increasedthe likelihood of morbidity with acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections;
- deformation of the maxillofacial skeleton;
- hearing impairment, which is caused by adenoids blocking the opening of the auditory tube in the child's nose, as well as impaired ventilation in the middle ear;
- developmental disorder of the chest;
- speech disorders;
- frequent purulent and catarrhal otitis media.
In a child, adenoids can provoke a lag in physical and mental development, which is explained by insufficient oxygen supply to the brain due to existing problems with nasal breathing.
Conclusion
Prevention is especially important for those children who are prone to an allergic reaction, as well as those who have a hereditary predisposition to the development of this disease. To prevent hypertrophy, it is very important for the child to give time to restore the size of the tonsils after suffering colds. After the disappearance of the symptoms of the disease, as well as the improvement in well-being, the baby should not be sent to kindergarten the next day, the child needs to sit at home for at least one more week, during this period, walk a lot in the street in the fresh air.
