Help! Steroids/Removal of DD's adenoids

[lmarston]

I need help quickly with this. My husband has taken my 6 yr-old DD to the ENT today because he's been worried that she might have sleep apnea. At times throughout the night, she snores and/or breathes heavily, often through her mouth. She also may have (always had) a slightly nasal voice.

The ENT doctor told my husband that DD's adenoids are 80% swollen, that when she sleeps with her mouth open, there is the possibility that her teeth will not form properly (??) and that when she is sick, it is very plausible for her to experience apnea (if she does not already normally). My husband had noticed a pause in her breathing when she was sick and sleeping many weeks ago.

The ENT doc told my husband to use a steroid nasal spray for the next 3 weeks to see if that shrinks the adenoids. If it does not, he would recommend having the adenoids removed (a quick, simple and minor procedure, he explained). I got the impression from my husband that the doc indicated that if the steroid spray works, it will be a long-term treatment.

Although I have not done much research on this topic, I am not, of course, at all in favor of either the steroids or the removal of the adenoids.

Is there anything I should look into in terms of cause for the swelling of her adenoids (dairy, wheat, etc.? or could it be that is just the way she is, be it hereditary or whatever)? How about treatment options (could chiropractic work, homeopathy, etc.?)

I need to find a solution quickly because my husband will go forward with the ENT doctor's recommendations asap. (He is super conventional and will fight me on anything I find that doesn't fit with what he's been told by the ENT, but he has told me in the past that he focuses on solutions, so I can try to hold him to that to give me a chance if there is anything to try.)

DD does not eat excessive dairy, but it is in her diet, say 3-4 times per week.

I will be so grateful for any information on this!

Thanks in advance,
Laureen

[Yvonne LV]

I have no idea about this. ONly Suggestion I can give is to look up the Buteyko method of breathing. This should help her a lot. I know it has helped me a lot.

[Pat Robinson]

96% of nasal passage issues are fungal in origin. (see link below for references) These develop due to antibiotics, steroids, food intolerances, ineffective detoxification due to nutrient deficiency absorption issues due to inflammatory processes. Basically, leaky gut, suppressed by meds. Has she taken any antihistamines, antacids, antibiotics ever, how recently? Does she have any eczema, wheezing, green mucusy poop, candida/yeast?

Do you have mercury issues, ever had mercury fillings in your teeth?

Most common causes of inflammatory gut issues are pasteurized dairy, wheat gluten and/or mercury. Healthy guts start with adequate stomach acid and nutrients to improve detoxification. As the gut becomes inflamed, the microbial balance is impaired, the fungal overgrowth migrates around the body, especially if antibiotics or steroids are used to suppress external symptoms.

The adenoids are important as a first line of immune defense. I wouldn't want to remove them. I understand you are in a tough spot. I'd focus on eliminating dairy completely, except for a bit of raw milk kefir and there are many gut healing measures. Bone broths are huge. But, you all are vegetarian? This thread has more info: http://heal-thyself.ning.com/forum/topics/healing-leaky-gut-with-food

If she has no amalgam fillings, I assume not, she could try "chewing" coconut oil for as long as she could keep it in her mouth to help destroy fungal issues, at least daily about a teaspoon. Have you tried a netti pot to wash out the sinuses with sea salt water? That could change the ph enough to have improvements also. I'd consider getting one of those salt water nasal sprays and add a few drops of grapefruit seed extract or add a drop or two of lavender essential oil, use four times a day. Those will significantly decrease fungal overgrowth. (Another option is Manuka honey added to a bit of salt water nasal wash, but this could be very messy. You'd need to dissolve the honey in warm water, without overheating it and let it cool. A lot of trouble. But, the honey treats fungal issues.)

No way the inflammatory issue isn't fungal in origin, imo. I'd address that topically and systemically. I'd even do a dose of GSE orally, daily, for a few days, if she'd tolerate it. It tastes *horrible*, though. I'd even consider taking Nystatin or Diflucan before adenoid removal. I'd print off this article and expect an antifungal nasal inhalation at worst case, not a steroid. http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/mayo_clinic_receives_patent_for_new_...

Without a full sleep study demonstrating sleep apnea, I would NOT do surgery. I'd also insist on a second ENT opinion. Dh has some sleep pauses/snoring and we saw our respected ENT and he wasn't even impressed enough to do a sleep study. This ENT seems a bit surgery-happy, imo. I'd have a documented problem, which the sleep studies have a chance of doing, well before doing any adenoid removal on our son.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?p=15075117&...


Hope that helps, Pat

[Pat Robinson]

Here are a few herbal alternatives too.
http://www.theherbfinder.com/cgi-bin/thfbbs.pl/noframes/read/292
http://www.marysherbs.com/anatomy/anat-ton.shtml
http://www.teetercreekherbs.com/ask/ask440.html
http://healthyherbalist.com/adenoids_polyps_.html

I saw carrot juice mentioned also.


Pat