Print this pageAuthor: Admin
Occasional snoring may be normal to children. Recent studies show that 3 to 12 percent of children between the age of 1 and 9 snore. But frequency doesn't mean normality. Habitual snoring can be a cause of a more serious medical condition called obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) or simply, sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by loud snoring with periods of breathing interruptions. Interruptions may be short or prolonged, usually between 5 to 30 seconds. During this period, the child could not get straight sleep. He rouses and moves to another sleeping position, then resumes sleep. After a while he will begin snoring again. This activity often happens several times during the night, each night. Although this condition rarely appears on children, it is very important that parents should watch out for symptoms that come along with it.
Symptoms of sleep apnea include
- Poor speech habits - talking that sounds like words over a mouthful of hot potato.
- Reduced growth rate. Children suffering from sleep apnea use more energy in breathing during the night. During meals, they tend to eat slowly since it is hard for them to breathe and chew at the same time. The result is, they have insufficient nutrients to support their growth.
- Hyperactivity. Lack of sleep can cause drowsiness in children during the day. To stay awake, children act restlessly.
- Poor performance in school. Since children do not get the right sleep during the night, they tend to get tired and lack the concentration to focus on school activities, resulting in poor performance.
When these symptoms begin to appear, it is important for parents to bring their child to a pediatrician for an examination. A child can appear to be happy and cheerful when brought to the doctor and therefore, it is difficult to diagnose if sleep apnea present. Parents are advised to record their child's snoring so that the doctor can analyze the situation in more detail.
Be aware though that sleep apnea is not the sole reason why children snore. Other reasons may include allergy attack, obesity, asthma, and enlargement of adenoids and/or tonsils caused by a cold or some other throat infection.
Some allergy attacks can cause swelling in the linings of the nose that can lead to the enlargement of adenoids. This keeps the child from breathing normally. Snoring logically follows. After the allergy attack, the snoring stops.
Obesity is also a cause for snoring. In fact, 20% and 40% of the obese children snore. This is because fatty tissues can form around the throat that can cause constriction and makes limit passage through the airways. Presence of fats in the stomach can also cause the diaphragm to function irregularly.
Asthma is said to be another cause why children snore. A study revealed that 40% of the children diagnosed with asthma have a tendency to snore.
Enlargement of adenoids and/or tonsils caused by a cold or tonsillitis also results in snoring. While a cold or tonsillitis can be cured by decongestants and antibiotics, adenoid enlargement is treated by surgical procedure to remove adenoids and tonsils.
Underdevelopment of the jaw inside the womb can cause snoring as well. There is also the possibility that the nerves and the muscles cannot control the airway properly and cause the child to snore.
