Adenoids are small glands in the throat at the back of the nose. Sometimes children have adenoids so big that they have a blocked nose, so that they have to breathe through their mouths. They snore at night. Some children even stop breathing for a few seconds while they are asleep.
The adenoids can also cause ear problems by stopping the tube which joins your nose to your ear from working properly. For children over three years of age, removing the adenoid at the same time as putting grommets in the ears seems to help stop the glue ear coming back. Removing the adenoids may also make colds that block the nose less of a problem for your child.
Further information is available in the patient information leaflet linked to in this page.