Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome In Children
Obstructive sleep apnea is considered a serious disorder. That is why it is so worrying when the smallest of the house suffer. Throughout this article we will discover how to detect this problem and the different ways to solve it as soon as possible.
Although it may seem that obstructive sleep apnea is not a common disorder, according to the article Consequences of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome , it is a condition with a fairly high prevalence rate. In the case of children, up to 3% of them can suffer it.
What is obstructive sleep apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs while children sleep causing partial or complete closure of the airways. That is, while they are sleeping, at a certain point they stop breathing. When this happens they usually wake up, which alters their sleep causing them fatigue and drowsiness during the day.
The reasons why children can suffer from this breathing disorder are various and we will see them below. However, it is important that we pay close attention to this problem that occurs during sleep.
- Adenotonsillary hypertrophy : the adenoid glands (tissue located in the upper part of the throat) are too large, which reduces the space through which air passes.
- Obesity : excess fat can cause it to accumulate in the soft tissues that surround the airways, causing a narrowing that leads to apnea.
- Neuromuscular diseases : they usually have as a symptom the loss of muscle strength that can cause sleep apnea in children. They have a progressive character.
- Craniofacial syndromes : this type of malformation can affect the airways, causing alterations and a greater predisposition to suffer from sleep apnea.
Signs and symptoms
Now that we know some of the reasons why children can suffer from sleep apnea, it is important to detect the signs and symptoms of this disorder early. To do this, we must inform the pediatrician of the following signs that we may miss.
One of these signs may be snoring. However, children can also have night sweats for no apparent reason, sleepwalking, or night terrors. The consequences of these symptoms at night often lead to hyperactivity, headaches, and attention deficit throughout the day.
If children say that they have woken up without breathing or that they are afraid of falling asleep for this reason, it is important that we pay attention to the symptoms that we have exposed.
Bringing it to the attention of the pediatrician will help to start a treatment as soon as possible to avoid, as indicated by researchers from the Sleep Unit of the Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, other complications such as the presence of cardiovascular diseases.
Sleep apnea treatment
Depending on what is causing the sleep apnea, one treatment or another will be chosen. In the event that the cause is obesity, the child will be given a specific diet aimed at losing weight. If this does not solve the problem or the child is unable to lose weight, other options will be considered.
- CPAP : is a device that prevents the collapse of the airways at night. To do this, the child must sleep with a kind of mask that will be connected through a tube. What it exerts is a positive airway pressure.
- Mouthpiece : it is another option and it is a device or oral appliance that keeps the throat open thanks to the fact that they bring the jaw forward, causing that opening. This also prevents snoring.
- Surgery : in the most severe cases, surgery may be chosen (although it is not usual). This can focus on the jaw, neck or remove tissue in the case of the adenoid glands.
All these options mitigate the symptoms that we have exposed previously and prevent children from seeing their quality of sleep diminished due to the fact that they stop breathing unconsciously at night.
Remember that this disorder can lead to cardiovascular problems and even sudden death. Therefore, proper treatment as soon as possible is essential to prevent your health from being compromised.
