Q: My six-year-old daughter is suffering from enlarged adenoids. When she was 4.5 years old, we had consulted an ENT and a child specialist, who conducted an x-ray and suggested us to get the adenoids removed by surgery. But at that time we did not get the adenoids removed. Now my daughter's recent x-ray shows enlarged adenoids. In fact, both the x-rays (taken when she was 4.5 years old and now) show the same position of adenoids. She is also suffering from frequent ear pain, cold and cough. So, should she undergo the surgery immeidately or will the problem resolve after a few years?

A:Most children have some adenoid enlargement, and this shrinks with the passage of time, although this may take a number of years. The necessity to operate arises if the child has persistent problems due to the enlarged adenoids and does not respond to medication or waiting. The problems may be one or more of the following: mouth breathing, snoring, sleep disturbance, recurrent colds and ear pains and hearing loss due to collection of fluid in the ears. If you and your doctors feel that your daughter has had enough problems as stated above, then it might be advisable to have them removed. It appears that things have not got better over 2 years of watching, and therefore an operation is not an unreasonable option.