children s health issues
Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids in Children
Symptoms of Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids
Most enlarged tonsils and adenoids cause no symptoms. However, enlarged tonsils or adenoids can give the voice a stuffy-nose quality (children sound as though they have a cold). Children with enlarged tonsils or adenoids may have an abnormally shaped palate and position of the teeth. Children may also tend to breathe through their mouth. Enlarged tonsils can also cause Nosebleeds , Enlarged tonsils and adenoids are considered a problem when they cause more serious problems such as the following: Chronic Middle Ear Infection in Children and Recurring sinus infections: See Sinusitis . Obstructive sleep apnea : Some children with enlarged tonsils and adenoids snore and stop breathing for brief periods during sleep. As a result, oxygen levels in the blood may be low, and children may wake up frequently and be sleepy during the day. Rarely, obstructive sleep apnea caused by enlarged tonsils and adenoids has serious complications, such as high blood pressure in the lungs ( Weight loss or lack of weight gain: Children may not eat sufficiently because of pain resulting from infections or because breathing takes constant physical effort. 