Evaluate for adenoid enlargement if congestion is chronic

What to Do

Ask your pediatrician or ENT about adenoid enlargement if your child has chronic mouth breathing, snoring, nasal voice quality, sleep-disordered breathing, or recurrent ear infections alongside allergy symptoms.

Why It Works

In children, the adenoids (lymphoid tissue in the back of the nasal passage) can enlarge due to chronic allergic inflammation, compounding nasal obstruction beyond what medications alone can fix. A lateral neck X-ray or nasopharyngeal endoscopy can assess adenoid size.

Tips

• Adenoidectomy may be recommended if the adenoids significantly obstruct the airway
• Allergic rhinitis treatment should continue post-adenoidectomy since the underlying allergy remains
• Some children improve dramatically after adenoidectomy plus ongoing allergy management
• Chronic ear infections in an allergic child are a strong signal to evaluate adenoids