The difference between adenoids hypertrophy and sinusitis

Adenoids hypertrophy and sinusitis are both very common diseases in daily life. Because they are similar in many ways and adenoids hypertrophy is closely related to sinusitis, and adenoids are usually the main factor causing sinusitis, people tend to confuse the two. However, there are still differences between the two in many aspects. Friends in need can learn more about the relevant knowledge to better assist in treatment.

1. Adenoids hypertrophy

Adenoids, also called pharyngeal tonsils or adenoids, are located at the top of the nasopharynx and the posterior wall of the pharynx. They belong to lymphoid tissue and have an orange-segment-like surface. Like tonsils, adenoids gradually grow larger with age after birth. They proliferate most rapidly between the ages of 2 and 6 and gradually shrink after the age of 10. Adenoids hypertrophy is a pathological proliferation of the adenoids due to repeated stimulation of inflammation, which causes symptoms such as nasal congestion and mouth breathing, especially at night, and causes snoring and restless sleep. Children often turn over from time to time, which is more obvious when lying on their backs. In severe cases, sleep apnea may occur. This disease is most common in children and is often associated with chronic tonsillitis and tonsil hypertrophy.

2. Is there a relationship between adenoids hypertrophy and sinusitis?

Adenoids hypertrophy is closely related to rhinitis and sinusitis. Patients with rhinitis and sinusitis often have enlarged adenoids. It can also be said that adenoids are often the culprit causing rhinitis and sinusitis in children.

The adenoids are a special organ in childhood and an important organ for lymphatic drainage in the pharynx. They are located on the posterior wall of the nasopharynx. Adenoids reach their peak development at the age of 6-7, and begin to slowly shrink at the age of 10-12. A few people still have adenoids into adulthood. After children have an upper respiratory tract infection, the adenoids tend to become larger due to inflammatory stimulation. When the adenoids are enlarged, they block the nasal cavity, hindering the drainage function of the nasal cavity and sinuses, leading to rhinitis and sinusitis. Rhinitis and sinusitis will stimulate the adenoids, making them larger, thus creating a vicious cycle. Foreign scholars conducted bacterial culture on the adenoids and nasal cavity respectively, and finally found that the two were the same, proving that adenoids hypertrophy is closely related to rhinitis and sinusitis.

In clinical practice, many children come to the doctor because of nasal congestion and runny nose. At this time, when parents are asked whether their children snore when sleeping, nine out of ten children will nod their heads. To make a clear diagnosis, a nasoscopic examination is performed, during which enlarged adenoids can be seen, blocking at least 1/3 of the nasopharynx and at most 5/6. In this case, we need to use nasal spray hormones such as mometasone furoate nasal spray for treatment, which has a good therapeutic effect. Children with enlarged adenoids have difficulty breathing through their noses and often need to breathe through their mouths. If this continues for a long time, it will cause adenoid facies, with buck teeth being a typical sign. In addition, long-term hypoxia can cause children to have difficulty concentrating. Therefore, if medication is refractory or attacks occur frequently, we need to consider adenoidectomy.