adenoids

[spinningJ]

Does anyone have any advice about enlarged adenoids?Ds has had enlarged adenoids and glue ear since age 1.He's under the hospital consultant and has had grommets fitted which have improved his hearing but the adenoids are causing a problem. he sleeps badly, snoring and snuffling and can't breathe thro his nose.
We are also having probs with his behaviour- tantrums, aggression and hyper activity. Could there be a link?

[HiddenSpirit]

I have to say I have no idea if there's a link spinningJ. Have you spoken to the consultant about your concerns? Does your DS still see them? Maybe you could raise your concerns with them and ask about the possibility of having the adenoids removed?

You've actually got me thinking, and I may take my DS1 to the doctor and see about him getting referred to ENT as he has snored heavily since he was quite young, he doesn't seem to be able to breathe through his nose a lot (especially when sleeping) and a lot of the time his breathing is quite loud. Oh a coincidence maybe, but we have problems with his behaviour too!

[luckymum]

SpinningJ...dd1&dd2 both had grommits fitted, adenoids & tonsils removed at about 3. We had problems with dd2's behaviour in particular, headbanging, night terrors, tantrums and obsessive behaviour. He improved dramatically after surgery. That said he is still a bit 'eccentric' but we have come to think its just the way he is lol. How old is your ds now?

[spinningJ]

DS2 is 3,still sees the hospital consultant about his hearing.Last time we saw her she said they didn't usually remove adenoids these days. However DS's breathing at night is really raggedy and loud,sleeps flat on back with mouth open. I find myself listening out for it in the night. I did read somewhere about reduced oxygen intake having an effect on daytime brain activity and behaviour problems. Luckymum, he also has strange obsessions aswell as tantrums but could just be thats how he is!

[bluebear]

My ds is waiting for removal of adenoids, tonsils and putting in grommets. He has glue ear (caused by the adenoid blocking the eustachian tube), adenoidal hypertrophy and large tonsils. He has sleep apnea (waking often at night because he can't breath )..which leads to him being over-tired and therefore badly behaved during the day (just as you said spinning..tantrums, agression, hyperactivity)..also the sheer exertion of living with a permanently blocked nose can make children like this very badly behaved. (Try holding your nose and wearing ear plugs and see how horrible it is!)
I am surprised your consultant isn't recomending removing the adenoids...we have seen 2 consultants and both said surgery was required. Is there any way of getting a second opinion?
Hope your little boy gets some relief soon (have you been given nasal drops to help?)

[KateandtheGirls]

My 4 1/2 year old is having her adenoids removed next week. She is having her adenoids removed and ear tubes (grommets) put in. The cause of her hearing loss (we just found out last week) is because of her enlarged adenoids which are stopping the eustachian tubes from working correctly. Removing the adenoids will correct the problem, but it would take 4 months or so for the pressure to be equalised if she just had that done, which is why they are also doing the tubes, to correct the problem in the short term.

Now I don't know too much about the way the health system works over there, but I would try and get a second opinion if possible. I can't believe that hearing loss is not a good enough reason to remove them. If removing the adenoids will correct the hearing problem, then why on earth not?

[geekgrrl]

spinning I'm also surprised that they've not recommended removing them. How old is your ds? Sometimes they grow back in younger toddlers so they like to wait until your child is at least 2. My dd had her adenoids taken out at 2.5 yrs old. It has made a huge amount of different to the amount of upper respiratory infections she gets - she was actually on antibiotics for a year before and finally managed to come off them once the adenoids had gone. Sadly it didn't sort out the glue ear.
Also very much agree with bluebear on the behaviour. You could always ask your GP to arrange for an overnight oxygen saturation monitoring - for one night you tape a small sensor to your ds's toe and a machine records his o2 levels throughout the night. If it shows sleep apnea hopefully you won't have to wait too long for surgery.

[lenaw]

I had my adenoids removed when I was about 4 y.o. (thankfully I cannot remember) and every time I've got a cold I've got a terrible cough it all goes straight down so I cannot sleep! Although I would not advice not to remove them... But I've got a cold at the moment and feel really sorry for myself as I didn't sleep for the past 5 nights

[KateandtheGirls]

But Lenaw. I don't know why your adenoids were removed, and I know they do it a lot less often these days, but if you had a hearing loss at age 4 which was corrected by removing your adenoids, wouldn't that be worth it even with the unfortunate side effects?

I hope my daughter doesn't suffer as you have, but my opinion is that correcting a hearing problem is more important.

[Slinky]

My DD1 (now 8.5) had her tonsils and adenoids removed at the age of 5.

She suffered severely from sleep apneoa (where she would stop breathing momentarily, then jolt herself awake). Also effected her hearing, she had partial hearing loss in her right which was not detected until she started school.

We've never had a problem with her behaviour - before or afterwards - so can't comment on that side of it.

She doesn't suffer from coughs when she has a cold - infact seems to suffer less from colds since.

DD2 seems to be going the same way - keep meaning to ask GP to refer her to the ENT. She snores very loudly and again, sleep apneoa. (Funnily enough, DH had his removed last year due to SA!!)

The reason she had them taken out was down to her Sleep Apneoa, not her hearing loss. In fact, GP and school doctor kept trying to talk me out of having them removed saying "her tubes will grow as she gets older therefore sort out her hearing".

ENT Consultant wasn't bothered about the hearing (he agreed that the tubes would expand etc) but her Sleep Apneoa was his major cause for concern.

[Wills]

I've just returned from seeing the consultant about dd1's (4 years) lack of hearing. She has glue ear and he has recommended grommits and having her adenoids removed. I asked him about the adenoids and he informed me that very often the adenoids have actually shrivelled away (his language not mine) by the time we reach adulthood. I haven't noticed dd1 have obvious sleep apnea but she snores like a trooper. So does dd2 (only 8 months) and also my dh - in fact when we go away for a weekend a friends its like having snoring dolby surround sound! we're both nervous about the removal of the adenoids so its good to hear other "success" stories however their removal is likely reduce the number of times she will need grommits and therefore need to undergo a general anasthetic.

Lenaw - you may well have a good point and you've certainly made me hesitate, but one thing I would say - whenever I get a cold it goes straight onto my chest and I never had my adenoids removed....

[suedonim]

I haven't read all this thread but ds1 had his adenoids removed when he was about 9. He'd had constant ear infections and deafness. It was the best thing ever, he never had an ear infection again.

[KateandtheGirls]

Wills, what is glue ear? (Sounds like our daughters have similar problems, which is why I'm wondering.) When is your daughter's surgery? Mine is this Thursday. I'm waiting to hear what time the surgery is, so we'll know what time she is allowed to eat and drink till.

My daughter's surgeon said she will only need grommets this one time, because by the time they have fallen out (in 9 months to a year), the pressure in her ears will have equalised permanantly due to the adenoid removal.

[JJ]

My son had grommets in and his adenoids and tonsils removed (2 separate operations). spinningJ, he wasn't exactly like your son re the behaviour, but just like him with the sleeping (and had weird behaviour things too, but not the same as your son's).

Both operations made a difference immediately. It was like night and day.

Can post more later (tomorrow) if you'd like.

[KateandtheGirls]

Just wanted to update you. My 4 year old had her adenoids removed and grommets put in 12 days ago (because of a hearing loss). She had a repeat hearing test yesterday and her hearing is now normal. She's scheduled for a post operative check up with the surgeon tomorrow, but if that isn't a good reason to remove adenoids, I don't know what is!

Now if I can just get her to stop ignoring me...