Since the adenoids swell in times of infection, reducing the child’s susceptibility to an infection is important. Resting the body well and getting sound sleep ensures that the immune system is in good fighting condition. Fatigued children are more prone to contracting infections and getting adenoiditis. 

The infection to the adenoids can occur or get aggravated by many environmental factors. Dry air is an irritant to the throat. Using cool-air humidifiers in hot and dry seasons would be helpful in preventing adenoiditis. It is also important to have the home well ventilated and keep it free of cigarette and cigar smoke which is also a known irritant. 

Unhygienic conditions are the root cause for infections. The practice of good hygiene must be taught to the children. These include basic practices like washing the hands thoroughly after using the toilet or before eating anything. When the child suffers from a cough, cold or sneezing bouts, it should make use of tissues or a handkerchief. Tissues would be better because they are discarded after a single use and thus they minimize the chance of recurring infection.

A sore throat is a strong precursor or a definite symptom of adenoiditis. Soothing the sore throat will surely prevent further aggravation. There are a number of home remedies to do this. Gargling with warm, salt water helps soothe the irritation. One could also swallow warm liquids with honey. Children under four years of age could be given lozenges to soothe the throat. Very often, an irritable throat leads to an itchy and irritable inner ear too. This is because the throat and ear are connected via the Eustachian tubes. Adding a few drops of warm olive oil in the ear helps to soothe them.

Eating raw vegetables, fresh fruits and drinking natural juices help build the immune system and thus reduce one’s susceptibility to infection. Boiled milk with ginger, turmeric, pepper, cloves and cardamom is an excellent recipe at night. Garlic cloves taken along with honey, garlic paste, herbal tea and lime juice have been known to be especially effective against swollen adenoids. Gargling with golden-seal tea also helps. In the same way, the juices of carrot, beet and cucumber are known to be excellent to prevent adenoiditis.

The surgical removal of the adenoids is known as adenoidectomy. When the complications that arise from swollen adenoids start becoming difficult to manage, this is the last resort to prevent any further occurrences of swollen adenoids. As stated earlier, the function of adenoids ceases after the age of 5 years when other mechanisms of infection combat are adopted by the immune system. The surgery has been the subject of constant controversy with many members of the medical community stating that many unnecessary adenoidectomies have been performed. However, when severe obstruction of the airway, a cancer of the tonsils or bleeding in the adenoids is suspected, this is the only remedy. 

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid has been known for its immunity boosting properties. Vitamin C also fights various infections and most importantly, increases the resistance to coughs, colds and sneezes. This is vital in prevention of adenoiditis for the adenoids often get swollen because of these infections of the ENT (ear, nose, throat) areas.