Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition. It can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Although most often seen in adults, sleep apnea in children is becoming more prevalent across the country.
Sleep Apnea treatment for children often present themselves in both the child's sleeping and waking behavior. Today I want to go over some of the subtle and not so subtle symptoms you might notice if your child has sleep apnea. I must stress this fact before we start: Sleep apnea can be just as dangerous for a child as it for an adult. If you notice these symptoms in your child you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Before we delve into the symptoms let's go over some of the causes and risk factors for sleep apnea in children.
The word “apnea” coming from the Greek word meaning “without wind". Sleep apnea happens when a person stops breathing during sleep. The condition is usually caused by something either obstructing or blocking the upper airway. The culprits are most often enlarged tonsils or the germ-fighting tissues at the back of the nasal cavity known as adenoids. In fact, enlarged tonsils and adenoids are the most common cause of sleep apnea in children.
When we sleep, our muscles relax. In sleep apnea the muscles at the back of the throat relax too much and collapse on the airway, making it hard to breathe. If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to learning, behavior, growth, and heart problems in your child. In very rare cases, it can even be life threatening.
What are the symptoms to look out for?
If your child is suffering from sleep apnea you will likely notice a few of these signs while they're sleeping:
Your child may snore loudly.
You may notice that your child has long pauses, gasps, and loud snorts while they are sleeping. You may even notice that for brief moments they stop breathing. These symptoms may awaken the child or briefly disrupt their sleep. You may notice that your child is a “wild sleeper”. This is when the child tosses and turns in bed during the night and sleeps in abnormal and unusual positions. Sweating heavily during sleep is a common symptom. If you notice that your child's face and clothing are damp with cold sweat on frequent occasions this is a cause for concern.
Bed wetting is also a common symptom. If your child is a bed wetter they could be presenting one of the most common Sleep Apnea treatment for children under the age of twelve.
Like I stated earlier, sleep apnea doesn't just impact children while they're sleeping. Many of the symptoms present themselves during the waking hours. Let's take a look at some of the things you may notice.
During the day, a child with sleep apnea may:
- Have behavioral problems at school or difficulty making friends, keeping friends, or playing nice with others.
- A child with sleep apnea is often very difficult to wake up in the morning. And when they do finally wake up they're groggy.
- Experience headaches during the day, but especially in the morning.
- The child may be irritable, agitated, aggressive, and cranky.
- The child may be so sleepy during the day that they actually fall asleep or daydream.
A nasally voice and frequent mouth breathing are both signs that your child might be suffering from sleep apnea.
Conclusion
Sleep apnea for a child is just as physically draining and debilitating as it is for an adult. If left untreated, it can lead to learning, behavior, growth, and heart problems. In very rare cases, it can even be life threatening. If you think your child is showing signs of sleep apnea visit your primary care physician immediately.
Thomas Roger is the author of this Article. To know more about sleep apnea in children please visit the website
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?Obstructive sleep apnea is a type of sleeping disorder where an individual is unable to breathe during sleep causing intermittent and shallow breathing leading to loud snoring.This sleeping disorder interrupts the normal sleep cycle and contributes to several other conditions such as fatigue, heart diseases, metabolic and liver problems.Causes of Obstructive Sleep ApneaObstructive sleep apnea occurs when the soft muscles (tongue, soft palate, uvula) of the throat relax.
The brain detects this abnormal breathing and signals the body to wake up to fix the breathing, causing snorting and gap sounds.
This unusual waking up interrupts the normal sleep cycle disabling the individual to reach deep sleep.
With oral appliance therapy, you can prevent your airway from collapsing by either holding the tongue or supporting the jaw in a forward position.Oral Appliance Therapy Treatment for Obstructive Sleep ApneaPatients complaining of mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea can be treated by using oral appliances.
Dr. Maria Yazji at Contemporary Orthodontics is offering professional treatment for obstructive sleep apnea using patient-centered oral appliances.
The custom-made oral appliances are designed to fit the oral cavity in such a way that the position of the lower jaw is to bring forward enough to open the airway.
