Question
My child has been diagnosed with adenoid hypertrophy and is snoring during sleep. Is traditional Chinese medicine treatment suitable?
Answer
The adenoids are a group of lymphoid tissues located at the posterior wall of the nasopharynx. During childhood, if infected, they may swell and become inflamed, affecting nasal breathing and sinus drainage, which can lead to sinusitis and middle ear infections. In such cases, anti-inflammatory and symptomatic treatment can be initially administered, and traditional Chinese medicine can be used to improve symptoms. Meanwhile, daily precautions should be taken to actively prevent respiratory tract infections. Since the adenoids are most prominent at the age of six and then gradually regress, appropriate treatment and prevention are usually sufficient. Surgery or plasma treatment may only be considered when the hypertrophy is severe and significantly affects quality of life (surgery is possible for children over one and a half years old, with fewer complications).