tonsil adenoids in children, is it asthma or infection?

What are tonsils and adenoids?
They are the protective pillars at the entry point of infection that is throat and nose respectively. Dominant in children below 5 years age as they are weak, By age 10 yr age, most children have very small tonsils and adenoids and practically not serving any purpose.

What age children get affected? adults?
Usual age is 2 to 7 years. Those kids who have chronic symptoms may have it persistent in adults.

How do tonsils and adenoids get infected?
As they are the first pass gaurds, any infection entering from food or breath/aerosol can affect them respectively.

Is it infection or allergy?
Not allergy for sure. tonsils infections are easy to confuse with asthma while adenoid infections are easy to confuse with allergic rhinitis. As symptoms are overlapping to large extent.

How does a doctor make out a child having tonsils and adenoids?
from their symptom profile. In case of adenoids, the kids have nose block on throat side.. and kids often present with runny nose lasting 2 weeks or more.As the nose is almost blocked , these kids may have mouth breathing. fever, growth failure and reduced diet can be off and on. often there is bad breath, snoring and speech issues. rising pressure in ears may also cause ear pain and discharge as adenoids are close to ear openings in throat.
Tonsils often present with fever throat pain or fever cough or fever vomiting episodes. Often get cured with symptomatic therapy. there may be bad breath, hot potato speech or reduced solid intake. Children often look thin short and active. there are often nodes seen just around angle of jaw. Tonsils and house of tonsils often looks inflammed red in acute infections and may get sticky to uvula or other tonsils.
Reduced diet and growth failure is very common and may necessitate surgery.

Any investigations needed?
Adenoid examination by IDL test, Xray nasopharynx (digital) often shows adenoids blocking nose from throat side. Often it may block Eustachian tube.. the openings of ear inside throat.
For tonsils, a throat examination is enough. A blood count or strept test for throat may decide the course of antiniotic therapy.... but if there is any suspicion of TB, one may need node biopsy.

Does it cause growth failure?
As both these cases cause reduced intake, and frequent symptoms poor weight and eventually porr height gain is not uncommon.

Do all kids need surgery for tonsils?
No, unless growth failure or 7-8 episodes in a year affecting quality of life.

Does it cause bad breath, disfigurement of face or teeth?
possible.

Is it due to bottle feeding?
possible

Does it cause leaky ear or ear infection?
possible.

Is there any permanent cure?
yes.. surgery but not needed in all cases. Even natural cure at times.

Are there any medicines?
yes. often symptomatic. Intermittent antibiotic courses and decongestants.

When and how to take these medicines?
Please visit a doctor for prescription.

Is this viral?
possible, but not all cases are viral.

Is this asthma?
It can cause asthma like symptoms so much so that sometimes these cases do need asthma like medicines,

Why do some children worsen?
due to neglect... due to large tonsils, frequent symptoms, inadequate therapy, and in some cases parents refusal to give antibiotics despite need.


And many more questions on tonsil adenoid infections,answers will soon be posted at www.kondekar.com
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डॉं कोंडेकर संतोष वेंकटरमण@मुंबई Dr Santosh Kondekar is now also available at Shushrusha hospital Dadar West . Mumbai India. Monday to Friday at 7 to 9 PM. www.kondekar.com Follow @9869405747 DR SK is a qualified pediatrician with MD and DNB qualification, from India who has specialised himself in counselling parents and children about the knowledge and various aspects of child health, illness, treament, diseases and their doctors. Dr SK is working as a pediatric intensivist and respiratory and infections specialist at Seth G S Medical College and KEM Hospital Mumbai India 400012. He has clinical expertise in guiding doctors, patients and also managing various illnesses and / or clinical situations concerning child health and its aspects like: Growth, Development Social and behavioural pediatrics including ADHD Respiratory illnesses including cold,cough, asthma Cardiac illnesses including congenital defects and rheumatic diseases Renal diseases Gastrointestinal diseases including diarrhea, vomiting, infections. hematological illnesses including anemias and hemorrhages. and various infections caused by various bugs like bacteria viruses and fungus. and many other clinical situations, illnesses, diseases. He has special interest in tuberculosis and other infections affecting various body organs and systems. The answers posted at above website are sole opinions of Dr SK with or without references and personal experience. These answers are just hypothetical and logical assesment of the limited information provided by the parent to the doctor in the form. The doctor being not able to examine the patiet and / or being not able to have access to reports, is practically not in a position to make diagnosis orprove it wrong... or suggest any treatment. Treatment suggested by this doctor at this site is just a hypothetical suggestion in agiven hypothetical limited situation which the parent may use for his basic understanding or discussion with his doctor, and for understanding and following basic health norms. Donot follow any prescription just because it was mentioned at this site. The consultation didnot take place, as the doctor has not examined the patient, legally its impossible to give any online prscription. What the doctor had written here is not a prescription for the given hypothetical case. -->