Adenoiditis

What is it?

The adenoids are a clump of lymphoid tissues located in the back of the upper throat, behind the nasal passages. When adenoids are too big or become infected, they sometimes can cause breathing, ear, or sinus problems.

What are the symptoms?

The adenoids aren't visible when a parent looks in the back of a child's mouth, but adenoiditis can be pinpointed by a medical professional as a factor in other problems such as sinusitis, sleep apnea, or recurrent ear infections.

How are they treated?

The treatment will depend on whether and what kinds of problems your child is experiencing. Because adenoids typically regress in size as children grow, sometimes the best course of action is to wait and see whether the problem resolves on its own over time. In other cases, surgery to remove the adenoids is recommended. This surgery is called an adenoidectomy (PDF). Depending on the reason for the adenoidectomy, a tonsillectomy may be performed at the same time.

About surgery for adenoiditis at Children's

The ENT surgery team at Children's provides next-generation care to neonatal infants, newborns, children, and adolescents from throughout the Upper Midwest. This multidisciplinary team provides some of the most cutting-edge, delicate treatments available, including newborn surgery and minimally invasive surgery. Otolaryngology surgery is performed at Children's - Minneapolis, Children's - St. Paul, and Children's West.

If you are a family member looking for a Children's ENT specialist, visit Find a Doctor.

If you are a health professional looking for a consultation or referral information, please call Children's Physician Referral at 1-866-755-2121 (toll-free).

Return to Children's ENT surgery home page.