Clinically, many children present with nocturnal sleep snoring, open-mouth breathing, recurrent episodes of tonsillitis, and episodes of secretory otitis media. Examination of the child often reveals enlarged adenoids or enlarged tonsils. Surgery is the best treatment option for this type of child.
Many parents believe that removing the tonsils or adenoids in childhood will lower the child’s immune system, but often overlook the fact that the disease itself is far more harmful to the child than the lowered immune system.
First, it is important to understand the role of the tonsils and adenoids in the immune system. Both adenoids and tonsils are part of the inner ring system of the lymphatic ring of the pharynx, which is mainly used by the pharynx to resist external infectious invasion. Their removal may result in symptoms of pharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infections.
Again, let’s properly understand the effects of chronic tonsillitis, tonsillar hypertrophy, and adenoid hypertrophy on children. Recurrent attacks of chronic tonsillitis may lead to endocarditis, arthritis and glomerulonephritis (the most common) in children; enlarged tonsils or adenoids lead to lack of oxygen at night and open-mouth breathing can affect the child’s intellectual development, facial bone development (formation of adenoid face) and cause damage to the cardiovascular system.
It seems pretty obvious which is more important.
However, whether a child needs surgery or not is a matter for the ENT surgeon to determine based on the child’s specific situation.
A simple way to determine what kind of child needs surgery is as follows: 1. snoring at night with breath-holding 2. open-mouth breathing at night 3. repeated episodes of tonsillitis (more than 4 times a year) 4. children with secretory otitis media Any one of the above criteria should be treated surgically Parents need to pay attention to only two points: 1. find a good hospital; 2. 2. find a doctor with excellent skills.