Swollen Adenoids

I would get a second opinion with an ENT. My son has had 2 sets of ear tubes--the 2nd put in in December and we had his adenoids removed at the same time. We haven't had any problems since. Also, if she is open mouth breathing-that can become a habit that is hard to break.

I second Brenda's opinion. My oldest and me both were/have-been mouth breathers. Mine was the result of having a deviated septum, which was corrected in my 2nd year of college while my oldest daughter had adenoids and tonsils larger than an adult's because they were so infected. It's always best to have them removed as young as possible if they are causing problems because those problems will intensify and could become much worse real soon and Brenda is right about the difficulty in breaking the mouth-breathing habit. It's likely a part of what's causing the sore throat b/c the throat is getting dry.

I'd push for immediate surgery and if the doctor didn't follow through with your concerns, I'd go elsewhere.

One more thing, it's easier for kids to get over tonsillectomies and adenoectomies much easier than it is for adults so be thankful this is happening now rather than when she's grown. My husband still has his tonsils and adenoids but they give him trouble. My mother had to have her tonsils and adenoids removed about 15 years ago and she had a horrible time recovering. Even though I had to go back under because of a problem with blowing a clot (there were complications, likely associated with the start of the growth of the deviated septum yet indistinguishable at the time b/c medication wasn't that advanced back then), but after the second surgery, I was great within about 4 days or so. My oldest daughter recovered just as quickly. So far, my youngest hasn't exhibited any problems but then again she's never been one to get sick often; however, I was able to breast-feed her whereas I wasn't with my oldest because there was a problem with my milk. It's why I truly believe in breast feeding, at least for 6 weeks if the mom doesn't or can't go for the first year or at least the first 10 months or so. Those 6 weeks give the child antibodies that they don't get with formula because there is no manner in which to synthesize whatever is in mother's milk into something human-made. It's just not possible.

I would ask for a referral to an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat Specialist).

The reason your doctor likely wants to wait is because of the change of the seasons and the possibility that it will correct on its own. Nasonex is FDA approved for the treatment of nasal allergies. Perhaps the thought is that by alleviating the inflammation in the sinus/nasal area, the swollen adenoids won't be as bothersome.
http://www.nasonex.com/nasx/application?namespace=main&am...

Regardless, I'd ask for the referral. Your child shouldn't have to endure the symptoms if there are safe ways to treat it.

Adenoids are part of the lymphatic system (just like tonsils, your spleen and your appendix). So, I really don't understand how a nasal steroid is going to affect the swollen lymph nodes.

Then again, I'm not a doctor.

the tonsils and adenoids need to come out. I have had them both out and have never been sick since then, only with slight flu during the season.

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I have gotten tremendous help from naturopathic doctors for myself and my kids. They go to four years of naturopathic medical school after college, and learn natural remedies. You can find one at naturopathic.org. My son started having nonstop ear infections, started wetting the bed, started mouth breathing/snoring/obstructive sleep apnea at age 5. Turned out he had enormous tonsils and adenoids (and since he had been a newborn he was a noisy breather - so they must have been big all along). I had consulted with our ND about it, and she had us do "warming socks" with him to pull the congestion out of his head. It helped, but I decided ultimately that his was an anatomical problem. My little brother had had all the same problems, including starting to wet the bed (which went on for years), and continued to have ear infections into adulthood. I decided I didn't want that for my son. The surgeon confirmed again that his adenoids were ginormous - no wonder he could hardly breathe through his nose. The surgery/recovery was miserable, but afterward he was like a new kid. He had tubes placed at the same time (for the second time), and recently had that done again at age 7. It's a tough decision - I weighed it carefully because any surgery is a big deal. But it has been well worth it. Good luck!

My daughter had some of the same problems with the exceptions of the infections. I was very concerned because she was developing sleep apnea and stopping breathing while sleeping. When I looked in her mouth I could actually see her tonsils were almost touching each other. She had her tonsils and adenoids out just after her third birthday and the problem went away. Then it was just getting used to her not snoring. She was so quiet when she slept that I would constantly be checking to make sure she was still breathing.

We experienced this with our son also when he was around 3 years old. Our pediatrician told us he would eventually "grow into" his tonsils. His tonsils were very large, and he also snored, had sleep apnea because of their size and he would have to sleep with his mouth open and head tilted back. He never seemed rested, and had very dark circles under his eyes all the time. Our dentist actually suggested to us to see an ENT doc because if you wait to get the tonsils/adenoids removed, these children actually develop misaligned jaws and will eventually require much orthodontic work. We saw an ENT that agreed with our dentist and we had his tonsils and adenoids removed when he was 4. I do not regret doing this, and today he is a healthy 13 year old who is well rested and a very deep sleeper :)