Sleep Apnea In Children – What Are The Symptoms and How Can You Diagnose It?

Often sleep apnea is experienced by children between the ages of three to six, although it’s most usually discovered in adults.

If it continues unidentified and untreated, it leaves the children with learning difficulties, poor academic performance, mood and demeanor problems, poor interpersonal abilities, developmental delays, high blood pressure and heart troubles.

A common sleep complaint, sleep apnea happens when the person stops breathing for brief periods that average 30 seconds and is caused by an obstruction in the airway. In kids, the bulk of the cases of sleep apnea are an effect of enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which are often resultant from an infection.

Nevertheless, the contracting of the airways induced by facial and structural dis-figuration can also be a primary cause. A smaller opening in the throat, larger tongue or smaller jaw can all be the cause in children. Children who have structural deformities in the jaw, nose, mouth, might have poor muscle tone, putting them more at risk for developing sleep apnea.

Tumors or any other obstruction that affect the airway can likewise add to the growth of sleep apnea, because the presence of a tumor diminishes the muscle tone and therefore causes a blockage. Obesity can also be the cause even though this is comparatively rare.Indications

The initial manifestation of loud and heavy snoring in children is identical to adults. Other symptoms need to be looked for by parents though, since between 1 or 2 in ten of kids snore even when they don’t have sleep apnea.

Other symptoms include constantly breathing through the mouth rather than the nose, bed wetting, odd sleep positions, extreme perspiration while asleep, hyperactivity, excessive sleepiness, short attention span, belligerence, and conduct problems.

Kids involved might not develop as quickly as others their age, have issues in school and have encounter learning difficulties.

Kids with sleep apnea are frequently underweight which is directly opposite to adults when they have the condition as they are generally weighty. The cause of this is because eating becomes painful because of the obstruction in the airway, particularly in the nose and throat area. Extraordinary breathing patterns may mean they are shedding calories at a faster rate than usual.

Treatments

Where enlarged tonsils and adenoids are the reason, then a tonsillectomy or an adenoidectomy are the most likely medical tretment for kids.

The continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP) will be prescribed for those kids who won’t gain from a surgical procedure or may develop ramifications from it. This is a nose mask connected to a machine that forces pressurized air and keeps the airway clear.

Sleep apnea in kids requires immediate medical aid so if parents suspect their children have this sleep disorder, they need to see a physician or a sleep specialist.

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