Bridget Achieng's son  Sekani has in the last week been hospitalized.

The ex-Nairobi Diary actress has revealed her son was born with Adenoids.

His adenoids have been swelling something which prompted him to undergo surgery to have them and his tonsils removed.

Adenoids are glands located above the roof of the mouth, behind the nose. They look like small lumps of tissue and serve an important purpose in young children.

Adenoids are part of the immune system and help protect the body from viruses and bacteria.

While adenoids help protect the body from viruses and bacteria, they sometimes become swollen and enlarged or chronically infected.

This can be due to infections, allergies, or other reasons. Some children may also be born with abnormally large adenoids.

When a child’s adenoids become enlarged, they can cause problems by partially blocking his or her airway.

When this happens, children can have breathing problems, ear infections, or other complications, which can lead to snoring or more serious conditions such as sleep apnea (stopping breathing) at night.

Chronic (long-term) nasal drainage, congestion and sinus infections can also be seen.

Enlarged adenoids can also affect the recurrence (return) of ear infections and chronic fluid in the ear, which can result in temporary hearing loss.

Surgery to remove the glands is often needed. Removing them has not been shown to affect a child’s ability to fight infections.

An adenoidectomy is mostly done for children who are between the ages of 1 and 7. By the time a child is 7, the adenoids begin to shrink, and they are considered a vestigial organ in adults (a remnant with no purpose).

The risks of an adenoidectomy are rare but include:

• Failure to resolve the underlying breathing problems, ear infections, or nasal drainage
• Excessive bleeding (very rare)
• Permanent changes in vocal quality
• Infection
• Risks from the use of anesthesia