Adenoids are clumps of spongy tissue that lie on each side of the throat, between the nose and the roof of the mouth. Although they’re usually grouped together with the tonsils, adenoids aren’t visible when you open your mouth.

Like the tonsils, these masses of lymphatic tissue help protect the body by acting as filters. Each adenoid is covered with a thin layer of mucus and cilia, hairlike projections that propel the mucus down the throat. This mucus and the adenoids themselves trap harmful bacteria and viruses each time you breathe or swallow. What’s more, these glands also produce antibodies to help fight off infections.

Experts believe that adenoids play an important role during early childhood. In fact, adenoids usually start to shrink at age 5, so by the time someone reaches his or her teenage years, the tissues have practically disappeared altogether. It’s during those early years that adenoids can become infected and enlarged or swollen. This occurrence usually goes hand in hand with tonsillitis; symptoms include a sore throat, swollen glands, a stuffy nose, and an ear infection.

If the infection is caused by bacteria, your doctor may prescribe a course of antibiotics. But if the medication doesn’t clear up the symptoms or if a child suffers from recurring infections, the doctor may recommend surgical removal of the adenoids, called an adenoidectomy. It usually takes children about a week to recover from this procedure, which is often accompanied by the removal of the tonsils.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. Because enlarged adenoids cause a stuffy nose, forcing the person to breathe through his or her open mouth, one symptom is a vacant facial expression.
  2. An adenoidectomy done at the same time as a tonsillectomy is commonly called a T and A.