The mysteries of our bodies

It looks like an adenoidectomy will be in the very near future due to the diagnosis of adenoid hypertrophy. The area of bright green is so enlarged it is blocking the majority of his nasal cavity causing him to breathe mainly through his mouth.

The following has been taken from eMedicine - Adenoidectomy

The 2 operations were routinely performed together beginning in the early part of the 1900s, when the tonsils and adenoids were considered reservoirs of infection that caused many different types of diseases. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A) was considered a treatment for anorexia, mental retardation, and enuresis or was performed simply to promote good health.

As odd as those indications sound, they actually can be explained. Children with failure to thrive have improved appetites and gain weight after T&A because their throats are typically no longer chronically sore and they can breathe better. Children who have persistent middle ear effusions often have hearing loss and associated speech delay and may be classified as mentally challenged. Adenoidectomies help resolve ear fluid problems, speech delays, and perceptions of low intelligence. Enuresis has actually been studied and listed as an indication for T&A because large tonsils and adenoids block normal breathing through the nose and mouth, which interrupts sleep architecture and decreases normal brain and brainstem control of urinary function. Additionally, almost every child experiences improved health and more energy following T&A. Based on the broad range of indications for surgery, T&A became almost universal for school-aged children in the early 1900s.

We originally started looking into sleep issues after receiving an article regarding sleep apnea and children and how it can affect their school performance. An obviously well-rested child is going to do better in school than a child that is tossing and turning and not getting a proper night's sleep. And we have always had issues with having to use pull-ups at night or wake up to a wet child and bed. We tried the waking up and getting to go, the nasal spray, nothing seemed to work. Could a minor surgery end up solving two issues?