Adenoids, not to be confused with tonsils, are made up of lymphoid tissue in the upper pharynx. Enlarged adenoids are often the precursor to other health problems and symptoms that may not only decrease quality of life, but can also lead to more serious health concerns. When adenoids become increasingly enlarged, they cause the bronchial pathways to narrow and trigger the creation of more mucous; allowing less oxygen to reach vital parts of the body. This often leads to recurrent respiratory infections, chronic cold-like symptoms, coughing and hacking, stuffy or runny nose, loss of sleep, headaches, grogginess and a reduced ability to focus or concentrate; as well as the potential for more serious health problems. Most often, the presence of enlarged adenoids occurs in children, and as breathing pathways are blocked, a common recommendation is surgery to remove the adenoids. Enlarged or infected adenoids can be very painful and cause a lot of hacking and coughing and misery, especially for children. The thought of just getting rid of them by adenoid surgery may seem like a logical choice, but unfortunately it isn’t always the best prognosis. Adenoids surgery is often not very effective. Recent studies have shown that children often improve and inflammation will decrease over time without surgery. Various alternative methods may be used to help alleviate symptoms of enlarged adenoids, as well, and at the very least can keep infected adenoids from spreading the infection to other parts of the body. Many people find good results from gargling with salt water, alternating between cold and hot water, in order to increase blood circulation near the adenoids and reduce swelling. Others report that mixing lemon juice with warm water and drinking it has helped some people to reduce the size of enlarged adenoids....