children s health issues
Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids in Children
Diagnosis of Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids
Nasopharyngoscopy Sometimes a sleep study Very large tonsils may be normal, and chronically infected tonsils may be normal-sized. To help determine whether infections are the cause of enlarged tonsils, doctors ask how many episodes of strep throat children have had during the past 1 to 3 years. Usually, to view the back of the nose and throat, doctors insert a flexible viewing tube through the nose (called a nasopharyngoscope). Doctors also look for redness of the tonsils, enlargement of lymph nodes at the jaw and in the neck, and the effect of the tonsils on breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea is suspected when parents report that the child stops breathing during sleep. In such cases, doctors may recommend the child undergo a sleep study ( 