Does adenoid hypertrophy require medication?

Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
Updated on April 24, 2025
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Adenoid hypertrophy does not necessarily require medication because it is relatively common clinically. Some cases may need medication, while others can be observed. This mainly depends on the severity of the adenoid hypertrophy and the specific clinical symptoms. If the enlargement is not severe and there are no clinical symptoms, it is possible to consider observation without drug treatment, as the adenoids can gradually shrink as age increases. If the adenoids are significantly enlarged and may be accompanied by clinical symptoms such as nasal congestion, snoring, and mouth breathing, it is necessary to consider timely drug treatment. If drug treatment is ineffective, some cases may need to consider adenoidectomy surgery.

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Written by Zhang Peng
General Surgery
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Does adenoid hypertrophy always require surgery?

Is surgery necessary for adenoid hypertrophy? The answer is not necessarily. Adenoid hypertrophy is generally caused by acute rhinitis, tonsillitis, or acute epidemic influenza, among other factors. These factors can lead to the rapid proliferation and enlargement of the adenoids, which may compress the tissues of the nasal cavity, causing nasal obstruction or sinusitis. In such cases, it depends on the symptoms triggered and how significant the impact is on the patient. If the symptoms are not particularly severe, some non-surgical treatments can be adopted, such as enhancing the body's own disease resistance. Oral medications for clearing heat and detoxifying, and if necessary, traditional Chinese medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis can be used to adjust the condition. If the enlargement of the adenoids is significantly alleviated with these medicinal treatments, surgery may not be necessary. However, if the disease is not well-controlled and severely affects breathing or swallowing, surgical treatment may be considered.

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Written by Zhang Jun
Otolaryngology
1min 11sec home-news-image

Can adenoid hypertrophy be cured?

Adenoid hypertrophy is curable. It is mainly divided into acute and chronic types. Acute adenoid hypertrophy is mostly secondary to acute rhinitis and sinusitis. It is caused by the invasion of Staphylococcus aureus or hemolytic streptococcus, leading to acute congestion and edema of the gland. Symptoms include nasal congestion, snoring, tinnitus, and hearing loss. During the acute phase, patients need symptomatic anti-inflammatory treatment, and oral or intravenous antibiotic therapy is effective. However, if the patient's adenoid hypertrophy is due to chronic recurrent inflammation, conservative treatment becomes ineffective. In such cases, adenoidectomy under plasma may be necessary. This surgery requires hospitalization, general anesthesia, and postoperative antibiotics to prevent local infection. Recovery and discharge can typically occur about one week after surgery. After recovery, patients should avoid catching colds to prevent the recurrence of adenoid hypertrophy. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Yao Jun
Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
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How to treat adenoid hypertrophy?

Adenoid hypertrophy mainly occurs in infants and children. It is a congenital disease, meaning that most children are born with varying degrees of adenoid hypertrophy. However, in many children, the adenoids begin to shrink after six months and generally do not cause symptoms. If the adenoids are enlarged, it can lead to the child breathing through their mouth, snoring, and gasping, which may cause facial changes, brain hypoxia, and delayed brain development. In such cases, adenoidectomy might be considered, generally performed under general anesthesia. However, some children with adenoid hypertrophy also have enlarged tonsils, so both surgeries are often performed together. Otherwise, if only the adenoid hypertrophy is treated without addressing enlarged tonsils, problems such as mouth breathing and snoring may not improve.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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Adenoid hypertrophy should be seen by the ENT department.

The glandular body, located in the nasopharyngeal region, is an organ made up of lymphoepithelial tissue. Enlargement of the glandular body leads to an increase in its size, blocking the passage of the nasopharynx. Based on this explanation, it is understandable that glandular hypertrophy should be evaluated by an otolaryngologist. If a more detailed subdivision of specialization is necessary, it can be divided into rhinology, laryngology, and otology, with the main focus being on rhinology or laryngology depending on the specific regulations of different hospitals. In summary, glandular hypertrophy should be assessed by an otolaryngologist. Additionally, it is important to note that glandular hypertrophy can lead to developmental abnormalities, especially in dental development. If these complications occur, consultation with the relevant departments, such as dentistry, may be necessary.

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Written by Deng Bang Yu
Otolaryngology
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Does adenoid hypertrophy require surgery?

The adenoids are tissue organs located in our nasopharynx. Whether we need surgery after adenoid hypertrophy depends on two circumstances. The first is the degree of hypertrophy; if the adenoids are significantly enlarged, we might consider surgery. However, merely having enlarged adenoids is not enough; we need to see if the hypertrophy blocks the nasal cavity, obstructs our Eustachian tube, leads to adenoid facies, etc. If there are symptoms and secondary diseases, such hypertrophied adenoids, also known as adenoid hypertrophy, will necessitate surgery. If the adenoid hypertrophy is mild and presents no symptoms, we can temporarily observe without needing surgical intervention.