Enlarged tonsils and adenoids in children

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The tonsils and adenoids may enlarge (become bigger) because of an infection or other cause or may be large at birth. Enlargement of the tonsils and adenoids is common among children and typically does not need any treatment.

Enlarged tonsils and adenoids in children may result from infections but may be normal.
Enlargement usually causes no symptoms but can occasionally cause difficulty breathing or swallowing and sometimes recurring ear or sinus infections or obstructive sleep apnea.
The diagnosis is based on nasopharyngoscopy and sometimes on the results of a sleep study.
Antibiotics may be used if a bacterial infection is present, and sometimes, if infections are recurring, the tonsils and adenoids are removed.

Tonsils and adenoids are collections of lymphoid tissue that may have a role in helping the body fight infection. They trap bacteria and viruses entering through the throat and produce antibodies. The tonsils and adenoids are largest in children who are 2 to 6 years of age.
The tonsils are located on both sides of the back of the throat. The adenoids are located higher and further back, where the nasal passages connect with the throat. The tonsils are visible through the mouth, but the adenoids are not.