Many children suffer from adenotonsillitis which is the inflammation of the tonsils and adenoids most commonly caused by a viral or bacterial infection. This can cause pain and discomfort and is most often treated with oral antibiotics. While the majority of children make a full recovery within a week, chronic or recurrent adenotonsillitis may require an adenotonsillectomy (the surgical removal of tonsils and adenoids).
Symptoms of Adenotonsillitis and Hypertrophy
The primary symptoms of a tonsil infection are sore throat, swollen tonsils that are red and may have white spots on them, fever, coughing, headache, and swollen lymph nodes. Other, less common symptoms might include nausea, vomiting, hoarseness, and bad breath.
Tonsil hypertrophy, or enlarged tonsils, often contribute to obstructive sleep apnea in children. Symptoms of sleep apnea are irritability, learning difficulty (attention-deficit), snoring, periods of not breathing during sleep, bed-wetting and occasionally sleepiness and fatigue. Enlarged adenoids are lymphoid tissue at the back of the nose which also contribute to obstructive sleep apnea in children.
Diagnosis & Treatment
When your pediatrician or family physician refers your child to our practice for evaluation and treatment of recurrent or chronic adenotonsillitis or sleep apnea, your child will receive a thorough evaluation by our ENT Specialists to discuss further medical treatment and possible surgical intervention if necessary. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy is a safe and effective procedure to treat chronic adenotonsillitis and tonsil and adenoid hypertrophy causing sleep apnea. Recovery in children is usually less than a week. To assist in an expeditious and comfortable recovery, our practice utilizes Coblation based plasma tonsillectomy.
If your child suffers from symptoms of tonsils and adenoids, please contact one of our board-certified ENT specialists and schedule an appointment for your child.
