The narrower the airway becomes, the greater the vibration and the louder the snoring. Snoring may be an occasional problem, or it may be permanent.
A chronically snoring child should be examined for problems related to his tonsils and adenoids.
Less common, anatomical abnormalities of the nose and throat, such as nasal polyps or deviated nasal septum con cause snoring.
What are the effects of snoring?
Usually snoring causes sleep deprivation for both the snorer and his family. The child may wake frequently. Parents have trouble sleeping deeply because of the noise and the anxiety about their son's health and well-being.
The effects of sleep deprivation are:
• Sleepiness.
• Irritability.
• Poor school performance.
• Excessive daytime drowsiness.
• Morning headaches.
• Awakening in the morning not feeling rested.
• Changes in the level of attention, concentration, or memory.
• Poor mental and emotional health.
• A negative mood.
• Low energy.
• Unclear thinking.
• Slower reaction time.
Children who snore are about four times more likely to wet the bed than those who don't (this is called enuresis or bedwetting, to know more about this problem click here).
When enlarged adenoids are the cause of snoring, it can also cause:
• Mouth breathing.
• Bad breath.
• Chronic runny nose (nasal congestion).
• Frequent ear infection (glue ear).
• Reduction in smell and taste.
• Loss of appetite.
• Failure to thrive.
• Pulmonary hypertension and right side heart failure.
The adenoids may be enlarged or chronically infected to the extent that they may affect the Eustachian tube function, causing recurrent ear infections. Blockage of the Eustachian tube can lead to a condition called secretory otitis or glue ear. This impairs child's hearing until the blockage is relieved. Children who have persistent glue ear often have hearing loss and associated speech delay, and may be classified as mentally challenged.
Children can also present symptoms of chronic or recurrent sinusitis including postnasal purulent drainage, cough, fever, facial pain, and nasal congestion.
Chronic mouth breathing can lead to facial and dental abnormalities with failure of orthodontic treatments.
Sometimes the walls of the throat collapse completely so that it is completely occluded, creating a potentially life-threatening disorder: sleep apnea (cessation of breathing). This is a serious condition which requires medical attention. |
