When you think of sleep apnea, you might be thinking only of large adult males, but there can be sleep apnea in children and it isn’t nearly as rare as you might think. Usually, this occurs in children who are between the ages of three to six and it can be just as frightening in children as it is in adults. When it is left undiagnosed and untreated, these children can suffer from learning disabilities, poor performance in school and mood and behavior problems. Children who suffer with this condition may also have trouble interacting with other students and experience delays in development. Some children with this condition also experience high blood pressure and heart problems.

The cause of sleep apnea in children usually has to do with enlarged tonsils and adenoids which can sometimes be infected. For other children, the causes of this sleeping disorder have more to do with the structure of the face that causes the airway to become narrow. Some children are born with larger tongues than others and smaller throat openings. Sometimes, children who suffer with sleep apnea have problems such as Down Syndrome and have poor muscle tone in their nose, jaw and mouth.

Once in a while, sleep apnea in children can be caused from such problems as tumors which may be blocking the airway and reducing the muscle tone of the throat. Rarely, obesity in children has been shown to be a cause of sleep apnea, as well.

Some of the symptoms of sleep apnea in children include loud snoring, however, it’s important for parents to look for other symptoms because lots of children snore. Look for problems such as being a mouth breather, wetting the bed, sleeping in strange positions, sweating while sleeping, extreme tiredness during the day, inability to pay attention, feelings of aggression in children and overall behavior problems. Some of these children may not do well in school or have learning problems and be small for their age.

Children with sleep apnea tend to be thinner and may even lose weight. The reason for this is due to the obstruction in the airway which could be making eating difficult. Also, children with sleep apnea have abnormal breathing patterns, so it is likely that they burn calories at a higher rate.

Often, children with sleep apnea can have their tonsils and adenoids removed and find that the symptoms disappear completely after the surgery and this is a common treatment for many sleep apnea in children. Other treatments for this condition include continuous positive airway pressure, which includes the use of a nose mask and a machine to feed the child pressurized air.

Sleep apnea in children is very common, though much more difficult to recognize or diagnose. In adults there are given traits that point towards the possibility that they may have this affliction, but they are harder to find in children. Nonetheless, careful observation at home and thorough medical evaluation could result in the correct diagnosis.

Some of the signs that help with the diagnosis of sleep apnea in children are,

• loud snoring
• breathing through open mouth on a regular basis when asleep
• visibly enlarged adenoids and tonsils
• constant sleepiness during the day time
• problematic behavior such as sudden aggressiveness, inattentiveness, restlessness, etc.

Is your child suffering from any of the above symptoms? If yes, do not hesitate to immediately take the child to an ENT specialist for careful evaluation. In case of doubt, the doctor might ask you to carry out a test called polysomnography which would be very helpful in zeroing in on the correct diagnosis.

Sleep apnea in children is very dangerous; in fact it can be fatal. If you have the slightest doubt that your child is suffering from this problem, keep the child under very close observation, until you consult a specialist.

The Treatment For The Sleep Apnea In Children

Is your child overweight? This could be one of the main factors that contribute to the sleep apnea condition. Ensure that you take measures to have the child’s weight reduced. Sleep apnea in children could also be triggered by allergies – so monitor any allergies in the child. If you identify the factor, ensure that it is removed from the vicinity of the child.

Another factor that leads to this problem in children, is highly enlarged adenoids and tonsils. If these are found to perpetuate the condition, it would be advisable to have these surgically removed. These medical interventions are termed as tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, or as commonly known, T&A.

The good news is that though it is a little difficult to diagnose the sleep apnea condition with children, once it diagnosed, the treatment is swift and sure. The child would be back to normal in a matter of days, provided there are no complications, or undue infections. Overall it is easier to cure this problem in children than adults.