Fadhili’s suffering and pain
At the tender age of one, Fadhili was snoring abnormally loud both during the day and at night. This worried his mother, Lucy Gichia. He had a condition referred to as Adenoids. However, when she decided to seek help, the doctor reassured Fadhili’s mother, Lucy, that the problem was common and it would disappear as he grew up.
‘We initially thought he had common cold and took him to the hospital where he was prescribed for antibiotics.’ says Lucy, adding. The problem disappeared after he took the antibiotics because, he did not snore again. Unfortunately, the problem recurred two months later — he started snoring again.’
Lucy and her husband David started getting worried when they noticed that their son had become unhappy and lost his appetite completely. He also had recurrent fever.
Fadhili’s adenoids had become enlarged making it impossible for him to breath. He could neither smell nor taste food. ‘Even if we prepared the best meals and encourage him to eat, he would not. He only survived on milk and Weetabix. As a result of this, he became extremely thin,’ adds Lucy.
When his parents realized that the situation was getting out of hand, they decided to take him to hospital. ‘We had reached a point of no return. Our son had started developing nasal speech and it was evident that he was not outgrowing the problem. We therefore resolved to seek for an operation to have the infected adenoids removed.’
The couple visited an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist who upon examining Fadhili, reprimanded them for delaying to seek medical help for him. He showed us an alarming scan which indicated that our boy had very little space for breathing.’
Fadhili underwent a successful adenoidectomy (surgical removal of the infected adenoids) on 28 March 2008. Fadhili, the first born child to Lucy Gichia and David Njenga, is now aged two.
Comments by Dr. David Njenqa, a Pediatrician
ENLARGED ADENOIDS: WHAT ARE THEY?
Adenoids are tonsils that are located high up in the throat and behind the nose. A normal human being has three tonsils—one located on both sides at the back of the throat and the other one at the base of the tongue. Adenoids are body parts that trap foreign particles (bacteria and viruses) and prevent them from entering the nose. They also produce antibodies that offer protection against inhaled substances.
However, when infected, they become abnormally large and swollen blocking off airflow through the nose. A child with enlarged adenoids will have difficulties in breathing and may resort to breathing through the mouth. This can cause a lot of discomfort.
Some medical experts believe that adenoids usually shrink when the child reaches about five years and practically disappear as the child approaches teenage years and rarely become enlarged during adulthood years.
WHY DO ADENOIDS BECOME ENLARGED?
Since they serve to prevent foreign particles, adenoids get into contact with viruses and bacteria that can cause infection, leading them to swell. Although a child may be put on antibiotics to clear the infection, in most cases, the adenoids remain enlarged.
Sometimes, irritants may also cause the adenoids to swell up, since the adenoids may be allergic to certain particles. A child may also have developed enlarged adenoids while still in the womb. They may have them from birth-referred to as congenital adenoids.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF ENLARGED ADENOIDS?
The child develops difficulty in breathing; he may snore at night or breathe abnormally loudly during the day. This may make breathing through the nose difficult resulting in the child using the mouth to breathe.
These difficulties in breathing can result in the child having Inadequate sleep. Severe conditions may lead to sleep apnea, where the child experiences irregular breathing at night and excessive sleep during the day.
Sometimes the swollen adenoids can also cause hearing problems, because they block the entrance of the Eustachian tube (tubes connecting the middle year to the back of the nose).
Other symptoms include running nose and nasal speech (when the child talks as if the nose has been pinched). When severe, the child may not taste food and has recurrent infections.
HOW ARE ENLARGED ADENOIDS DIAGNOSED?
Often tonsils are easy to diagnose because they are directly visible— the child can open his mouth for the doctor to view. However, because adenoids are located in hidden places, they are not easily visible and the health care giver uses a small mirror or a special scope. Sometimes the doctor can do a scan to be able to see them them.
HOW IS THE CONDITION TREATED?
Mild cases can be managed by the use of antibiotics, either through oral administration or injections. However, severe cases will involve surgical removal of the adenoids through a procedure referred to us adenoidectomy.
IS IT PAINFUL?
During the surgery, the child is put under general anesthesia which puts the child to sleep. They do not feel any pain at all.
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