Adenoids are a patch of tissue that sits at the very back of the nasal passage. The adenoids help to stop bacteria and viruses from entering the body through the nose. In kids, adenoids usually begin to shrink after about 5 years of age and often practically disappear by the teen years. Because adenoids trap germs that enter the body, adenoid tissue can temporarily swell as it tries to fight off an infection. These symptoms are often associated with enlarged adenoids:
difficulty breathing through the nose
breathing through the mouth
talking as if the nostrils are pinched
noisy breathing snoring stopped breathing for a few seconds during sleep (sleep apnea)
frequent "sinus" symptoms
ongoing ear middle ear infections or middle ear fluid in a school-aged child.