Adenoids are bunches of spongy tissue located at the back of the nasal cavity, just above the roof of the mouth. Their primary function is to prevent kids from falling sick, but when they get enlarged they can get really messy and disrupt normal breathing.

The functioning of adenoids is somewhat similar to that of tonsils. These help in filtering out harmful bacteria and viruses. The adenoids house cells that contain antibodies which help the body in fighting infections. While these are important for kids to remain healthy, their role tends to start diminishing once the kids get older.

If a child complains about difficulty in breathing, breathes noisily, snores or stops breathing for few seconds every now and then, get him or her checked for enlarged adenoids. The doctor may observe the condition of the child via X-ray and suggest further treatment, including surgery.