Adenoids or vegetations are a part of the immune system of the human body.
Although they are usually a cause of surgical operation, in reality their primary function is precisely to prevent us from getting sick. Here we are going to explain what they are and what they are for.
The correct name would be adenoids, but they are colloquially known as vegetations. They are a part of the human being’s immune system, that is, they fulfill the body’s defense functions against possible microorganisms or substances that might want to enter from the outside.
This immune tissue is located behind the nose, in what would be the roof of the respiratory tract, before beginning its descent towards the thorax through the neck. With the tonsils, they form a ring that divides the area of the oral and nasal cavities from the pharynx proper.
The main function of the adenoids is to filter and retain exogenous substances or microorganisms that try to enter the human body at the risk of making it sick. Adenoids can retain bacteria, viruses, or even dust that contains pathogens.
Adenoids or vegetations are most active in childhood. Up to the age of five, it is recorded that his function is clearly active. From that age, they begin to decrease in size to tend to disappear during adolescence, since afterwards the human body has other more efficient defense routes.
Hypertrophy of adenoids
As we anticipated, the ‘fame’ of adenoids or vegetations comes from the need to operate them in certain cases. The condition that causes the need for surgery is called ‘hypertrophy’.
Adenoid hypertrophy is the increase in size of the immune tissue located there, which generates unwanted symptoms in the person and prevents it from fulfilling the specific function for which they exist. The most frequent age of presentation of this hypertrophy is between three and six years.
Children who suffer from it usually have any of the following symptoms:
- Mouth breathing: when the nasal passage is obstructed, the air enters through the mouth.
- Mouth dryness: due to the air entering through the mouth, the cavity becomes dry, since it is not prepared to carry out the respiratory act by itself.
- Nasal voice: the obstruction generates changes in the resonance box that gives the timbre to the voice, therefore children with hypertrophy tend to have a different voice, with a characteristic tone.
- Snoring: generally, they are children who snore at night, even being able to breathe with an intense noise during wakefulness as well, as if they were snoring awake.
- Halitosis: mouth breathing that dries out the mouth leads to bad breath, even with good hygiene. Certain bacteria grow best in a dry environment.
- Recurrent infections: Perhaps the most common reason why a doctor suspects hypertrophy of adenoids or vegetations is recurrent ear, nose and throat infections in a child. More than eight or nine pharyngitis, otitis or sinusitis per year make it necessary to request studies to rule out hypertrophy.
When to operate the vegetations?
The normal thing would be that the adenoids would never have to be removed. It is a physiological tissue of the human being and it exists because it has a function, especially in children. In fact, not all professionals agree on the benefits of surgical therapy.
In general, when adenoidectomy is necessary, that is, the removal of adenoids or vegetations, it is performed in conjunction with tonsillectomy, that is, removal of the tonsils. Until today, they are still the most frequent operations of the pediatric age.
It is understood that a child requires surgery when:
- Shortness of breath is constant and alters your physical performance, be it sports or activities of daily life.
- During sleep, respiratory distress appears causing apneas-momentary stops of breathing.
- Infections are more recurrent than expected in pediatric age, and can lead to other complications, such as growth retardation, hearing loss or learning problems.
Adults and adenoids
From the age of five, and through adolescence, the vegetations begin a process of atrophy. They tend to get progressively smaller to disappear. They are not as necessary as in pediatric age and, therefore, the body is programmed to eliminate them.
His disappearance does not mean a significant loss. On the contrary, atrophy indicates that the body has been able to evolve to other forms of defense against external agents. The persistence of adenoids or vegetations in adulthood does represent a problem. Adults with swollen adenoids can suffer from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, which consists of nocturnal episodes, during sleep, of shortness of breath for a few seconds. It is a complicated situation that is associated with high blood pressure and increased cardiac risk.
Like children who require it, adults with this inflammation can also benefit from surgery, improving their airway and reducing nighttime apnea episodes. The syndrome may not be completely resolved, but it helps reduce the chance of a heart incident.