Q: My 8 years old son has been operated for tonsils and adenoids 2.5 years ago. My second son also has been operated 1 year ago for adenoids and placed gromette as there was water accumulation in the middle ear due to adenoids. Now my third son who is 4 years old has also been diagnosed having adenoids. Though there are no symptoms such as snoring, mouth breathing or bed wetting, the x-ray report says large soft tissue opacity arising from the roof of nasophyrynx s/o adenoids while the x-ray done a week ago showed mild enlargement of tissues but water accumulation in the middle ear reducing the air pressure in the ear. We continuously observed but did not find any symptoms mentioned above. Now the doctor is advising for operation for adenoids and wants to put gromette in the ear. He just prescribed claritine(loratadine) syrup. I want to know why each of my child is suffering with adenoids? Is there any precaution to be taken to avoid it? Can't adenoids and ear infection be controlled by medicine? What is your advise for my 3rd child?

A:The problem of water collecting behind the drum i.e. otitis media with effusion is very common in children and may go unnoticed sometimes. It follows any infection in upper respiratory passages. The treatment in the form of antibiotics and antiallergic and decongestants is given. In some cases it may take as long as 3 months for resolution to occur. If problem persists ( as shown by clinical finding, tympanogram and hearing test) beyond 3 months then surgery is advised.