The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-05-20
THE HEALTH CENTER
Conducted by Viola Hahn, Public
Health Nurse
THE Growing Child


Maryland State Board Of Health and
the County Health Officer.
8.-Adenoids.
Nature intends that we should
breathe through the nose and has
so arranged matters that the air is
strained, warmed, and moistened as
it passes through the nose. This is
very important.
Unfortunately 10 per cent or
more of all children have adenoids
which interfere with free breathing
Through the nose. So many serious
results follow this condition that
parents should learn something
about adenoids and their treatment.
What Are -Adenoids?
Adenoids are tucked away up be-
hind the palate, and are therefore
out of sight. The air passes into
the lungs through the nose. Nature
has provided kind of moist cush-
ion which helps to filter impurities
out of the air. This cushion is
formed of what doctors call tade-
mold tissue" and is similar to that
which makes up the tonsils. When
this adenoid tissue grows abnormal
ly large it forms what are known
as ''adenoids. . From, the position
of these adenoids it will be readily
seen how easily they interfere with
proper nasal breathing.
What Adeonids Do.
One of the first results OF the
growth of adenoids is mouth breath
ing. When this condition develops,
the air breathed in reaches the
throat and lungs in an unpurified
condition. However, it is not suf
ficiently warmed or moistened. In
short time, therefore, such chill
dren begin to suffer from repeated
colds, and show the signs of a be-
ginning of nasal catarrh. Unless
proper treatment is now undertaken
the condition soon gets worse, and
the child's nasal breathing becomes
more and more INSTRUCTED.
Children who suffer from ade-
noids are usually pale, often mar
row-chested, and all together are
not as strong and robust as are
normal children.
But this is by no means all the
harm done by adenoids. They af-
feet the voice, disfigure the facial
expression, Interfere with hearing,
give rise to night terrors, open the
way for serious invasion by disease
germs, and. through the develop
ment of chronic nasal catarrh, may
lead to the loss OF the sense of
smell.
preston is often SO great that the
child looks stupid and sometimes
even half-imbecile. Quite frequent
ly a child with adenoids is inter-
nittenly deaf, condition respon-
sible for a number of street acct
dents to children.
One of the chief disfigurements
by adenoids is that of the jaws and
teeth. 1t will be noticed that the
teeth of the upper jaw stick out and
are not covered by the lip as they
should be. In these cases the roof
of the mouth, that is, the palate, is
narrow and highly arched, and the
two jaws do not come together as
they do in normal persons. This
condition is called 'malocclusion. !"
Usually, too, the teeth of the upper
jaw are irregular and crowded.
The malformation Of the teeth
thus produced by adenoids may lead
in turn to other serious conditions,
among them the chronic disease
known as pyorrhea, various. forms
of root infection. and chronic indi-
gestion.
How 20 Recognize The Condition.
The presence of adenoids should
be suspected If the child habitually
sleeps with open mouth, snores a
great deal, or has frequent strang-
ling coughing spells. Sleeping with
open mouth is one of the first signs
and should therefore lead at once to
careful examination by a ply
stefan. Sometimes difficulty In hear
ing is one OF the early symptoms.
Therefore. in all cases of ear trouble
an examination should be made for
adenoids.
What To Do.
Whenever adenoids are large
enough to give rise to any of the
symptoms already described, they
should be removed. This is espec-
tally the case in children under 10
years of age. for it is probable that
the condition will grow worse. The
operation is simple one and not
dangerous. 1t should be perform
ed under anesthesia. Relief is inn
,uadiafp And tha haa 1fh and ctranp 9th