Obstructive Sleep Apnea In Children
Obstructive sleep apnea is considered a serious disorder. For this reason, it causes concern when it is the smallest ones who suffer from it. In this article we will find out how to recognize it and the different ways to treat it as soon as possible.
Although it may seem that obstructive sleep apnea is not a common disorder, statistics show, on the contrary, rather high incidence rates. In the case of children, up to 3% of cases are spoken.
What is obstructive sleep apnea?
This type of apnea, which occurs during the sleep of children, causes the partial or total closure of the airways. In other words, at a certain moment, while they sleep, they stop breathing. When this happens, they wake up, which impairs sleep and causes fatigue and daytime sleepiness.
There are several reasons why children can suffer from this respiratory disorder, which we will see below. However, it is important to pay close attention to this problem, which occurs during sleep.
- Adenotonsillar hypertrophy : in this case, the adenoid glands (tissue located in the upper part of the throat) are enlarged, thus reducing the space through which air passes.
- Obesity : Excess fat can build up in the soft tissues surrounding the airways, causing a narrowing that causes apnea.
- Neuromuscular Diseases : The main symptom tends to be loss of muscle strength, which can lead to sleep apnea in children. They are generally of a progressive nature.
- Craniofacial syndromes : these are malformations that can alter the conformation of the airways making the subject more likely to suffer from sleep apnea.
Symptoms
Now that you know some of the causes that can trigger obstructive sleep apnea in children, it is important to first detect the first symptoms of this disorder. Therefore, you should promptly inform your pediatrician of the following symptoms, which may also go unnoticed.
Snoring is one of the main symptoms of sleep apnea. Children may also experience night sweats for no apparent reason, sleepwalking, or have nightmares. The consequences of these symptoms often result in hyperactivity, headaches and attention deficit during the day.
If children report that they woke up unable to breathe or are afraid of falling asleep for this reason, it is essential to pay close attention to the symptoms just exposed.
Referring these cases to the pediatrician will allow us to start treatment as soon as possible and avoid possible related complications, such as cardiovascular disease.
Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea
Depending on the cause of sleep apnea, one or the other treatment will be chosen. In the event that the cause is obesity, the child will be given a diet specially designed for weight loss. If this does not solve the problem or the child fails to lose weight, the different options can be combined.
- CPAP : is a device that prevents the airways from collapsing during the night. In this case, the child will sleep with a kind of mask, connected by means of a tube. This device exerts a useful pressure on the respiratory tract.
- Mouthpiece : it is another oral device or apparatus, which keeps the throat open by bringing the jaw forward, thus allowing a greater opening. In addition, it also prevents snoring.
- Surgery : in the most serious cases, you can choose to resort to surgery (although it is not frequent). This surgery may involve the jaw, neck or tissue removal in the case of adenoids.
These options are able to alleviate the symptoms that we have previously exposed. They also avoid the reduced sleep quality of babies, caused by the involuntary interruption of breathing during the night.
Don’t forget that this disorder can cause cardiovascular problems and even sudden death. It is therefore essential to start adequate treatment as soon as possible to prevent the health of the little ones from being compromised.
