The term “facial impact” generally refers to the adenoid face, which is relatively more impactful, although sometimes both may be affected at the same time. In some children, adenoid hypertrophy may be accompanied by tonsillar hypertrophy, so it is important to evaluate the tonsils as well if adenoid hypertrophy is present, as removing the enlarged adenoids alone may also result in compensatory tonsillar hyperplasia.
The adenoids are located in the nasopharynx, which is a long, thin, isolated passageway that is used for airflow when breathing, and there is no other way to compensate for this, so if the adenoids become enlarged they can cause uncompensated obstruction of the airway, resulting in open-mouthed breathing and oxygen deprivation.
The tonsils are located in the oropharynx, which is relatively wider, so the obstruction of airflow is relatively weak.
If a child has snoring and open-mouth breathing, it is also recommended to visit the hospital in time to fully assess the degree of hypertrophy of the two glands mentioned above, and to develop an individualized treatment plan according to the situation.