Polyps in the nose in children: causes, symptoms, treatment
The content of the article:
- The reasons
- Symptoms of polyps in the nose in children
- Diagnostics
- Drug treatment of nasal polyps in children
-
Removal of polyps
- Classical adenotomy
- Endoscopic surgery
- Laser adenotomy
- Treatment with folk methods
- Video
Polyps in the nose in children and adults are most often called hypertrophic degeneration of the nasopharyngeal gland. In fact, polyps are benign neoplasms localized on the mucous membrane (they can appear on other hollow organs).
Polyps in the nose are most often detected in children 4-7 years old
Most often, nasal polyps are diagnosed in children aged 4 to 7 years.
There are three stages in the development of polyps:
- The masses cover a minimal portion of the nasal space.
- This stage is characterized by the proliferation of connective tissue so much that most of the lumen of the nasal sinus is blocked.
- It is characterized by complete overlapping of the airways.
The reasons
The reason for the appearance of polyps in the child's nose may be:
- hereditary predisposition;
- curvature of the nasal septum;
- chronic diseases of the nose (sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, rhinitis);
- infectious diseases (adenoiditis, tonsillitis, acute respiratory infections, flu);
- narrow nasal passages;
- cystic fibrosis;
- allergic diseases;
- bronchial asthma.
Symptoms of polyps in the nose in children
At the first stage of the disease, his symptoms are practically absent, nasal breathing is preserved. But as the formations grow, the following symptoms appear:
- difficulty in nasal breathing. The child is constantly breathing through an open mouth. His sleep becomes restless, the baby snores heavily (especially if he rolls over onto his back), and wakes up tired and lethargic. Such children often suffer from headaches;
- nasalness. Neoplasms prevent air from entering the nasal cavity and sinuses, which are actively involved in the production of sounds. The baby's voice changes, becomes quiet and nasal. He constantly talks as if he has a stuffy nose;
- hearing impairment. The growths block the pharyngeal opening of the auditory tube, as a result of which air pressure changes and hearing deteriorates;
- frequent colds. Hypertrophied tonsils become a constant source of infection in the body, which leads to a deterioration in immunity;
- otitis media. The infection enters the Eustachian tube and causes inflammation. The disease is difficult to treat and may recur;
- frequent rhinitis, difficult to treat. In many cases, a secondary infection joins and mucopurulent discharge from the nose appears;
- neurological disorders. Constant hypoxia leads to the fact that the child becomes weak, lethargic, suffers from migraines. Such children are distinguished by low academic performance, they have difficulty in studying.
Due to the presence of polyps that interfere with nasal breathing, the child develops an adenoid type of face. If the formation is not removed in time, this leads to changes in the shape of the skull, which is clearly visible even in the photo.
The mouth is constantly in a half-open state. In severe cases, due to insufficient inspiratory volume, chest deformity can occur.
Diagnostics
An otolaryngologist deals with the treatment of pathology. In order to identify polyposis, the doctor examines the nasopharynx using a special mirror. The instrument is inserted through the mouth and the child is asked to breathe through the nose (the sky is lowered and the view is improved).
To make a diagnosis, you must contact an otolaryngologist
To determine the size of the formations, digital examination of the nasopharynx allows. A finger is inserted into the mouth, the nasopharynx is raised and the polyps are felt. The procedure is carried out very quickly, since it is difficult to tolerate.
Drug treatment of nasal polyps in children
Conservative treatment is carried out if the child retains nasal breathing, there are no problems with hearing and other serious complications.
As part of the complex treatment, local vasoconstrictor agents are prescribed.
In the complex therapy of the disease, the following means are used:
| Drugs | Description |
| Antibiotics: Augmentin, Amoxil, Cefutil, Cefuroxime | These drugs are used if there is an inflammatory process, the causative agent of which is a bacterial infection. |
| Antihistamines: Loratadin, Tsetrin, Suprastin, Tsetrilev | Medicines are effective for allergies, which often cause polyps. They eliminate swelling and reduce nasal discharge |
| Vasoconstrictor drugs: Knoxprey, Evkazolin, Galazolin | Drugs in this group are used for a short period in order to reduce swelling of the mucous membrane. |
| Corticosteroids: Nasonex, Etacid, Avamis, Mometasone | These are hormonal agents that help reduce inflammation, eliminate an allergic reaction, and relieve swelling. The therapy can significantly reduce formations and restore nasal breathing |
Removal of polyps
If conservative treatment does not give a positive effect, the child constantly has a stuffy nose and snores heavily during sleep, then the growths are removed surgically. Also, indications for surgery are frequent colds, otitis media or facial changes.
Classical adenotomy
Most often, the lesions are removed with a Beckman knife (which looks like a loop). The operation is performed under local anesthesia. The duration of the procedure is 10–20 minutes. Restless children under 5 years of age may have polyps removed under general anesthesia.
If drug treatment is ineffective, adenotomy is performed
First, the doctor rinses the nasopharynx and relieves pain with a spray. At the next stage, the nostrils are closed with gauze swabs. A knife is introduced into the oral cavity, brought to the edge of the opener and raised up. Then you need to turn it back and cut off the polyp in one sharp motion.
After that, the patient is asked to blow his nose and breathe deeply in order to make sure that the nasal cavity is clean. During the procedure, bleeding may occur, it is not very intense and stops quickly.
Removal in this way is safe, but quite painful. The disadvantage of this method is that when the growths are removed, the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx may be damaged. In some cases, it is not possible to completely remove the polyp, which leads to a relapse of the disease.
After the operation, the child must stay in bed for 24 hours. For two weeks after removing the polyps, the baby should avoid physical activity.
Endoscopic surgery
Such a surgical intervention allows you to more accurately determine the location, size, number of polyps and makes it possible to remove all altered tissues and correct the structures of the nose.
Endoscopic surgery allows you to accurately determine the location of polyps, their size and number
The procedure is performed under local or general anesthesia. An endoscope with a small video camera at the end is inserted into the nasal cavity. It transmits the image to the screen and allows the doctor to get a clear picture.
The shaver allows you to remove the formation as accurately as possible. It crushes the formations and absorbs them, while maintaining a healthy mucous membrane. After the operation, polyps do not appear again.
Laser adenotomy
You can remove formations using a laser. The procedure is also performed using an endoscope. Only in this case, the tissue that makes up the polyp is evaporated with a laser.
During this procedure, the vessels are sealed, which makes it possible to avoid bleeding and the addition of a secondary infection.
Treatment with folk methods
The following folk remedies are used to treat polyps in children:
- recipe number 1: a teaspoon of horsetail is brewed with 200 ml of boiling water and insisted for 40 minutes. The tool is filtered and washed out the nose in the morning and in the evening. Also, the infusion can be placed in a container with a spray (from pharmacy aerosols) and irrigate the nasal cavity 3-4 times a day. Treatment of the disease lasts 2-3 weeks;
- recipe number 2: dissolve 50 g of natural butter in a water bath and add one teaspoon of St. John's wort, ground into powder. After the product has cooled down, it is applied to the nasal mucosa in the morning and evening. The duration of treatment is 10-14 days;
- recipe number 3: dissolve one teaspoon of sea salt in 200 ml of boiling water, after the agent has cooled to a comfortable temperature, it is filtered and used to rinse the nasal cavity;
- recipe number 4: 3 g of the herb of the string is poured with 200 ml of water and boiled for 10 minutes over low heat. After cooling, the broth is filtered and 3 drops are instilled into the nose every 6 hours. Treatment continues for 2 weeks.
If parents begin to notice that a baby over one year old is breathing through the mouth, snoring in a dream, or is often sick with rhinitis, it is necessary to consult an otolaryngologist.
Video
We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.
Anna Kozlova Medical journalist About the author
Education: Rostov State Medical University, specialty "General Medicine".
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