Dealing With Sleep Apnea in Children
Sleep apnea is an incredibly common condition, but not many people are aware of just how common sleep apnea is in children as well. We all hear of adults suffering from the condition but never of children, and so it is no doubt then surprising to hear that millions of children around the world have sleep apnea as well.
What It Is
Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person experiences pauses in their breathing during sleep. Sufferers are usually not even aware that they stop breathing during sleep, and it is usually a partner or friend who notices it while they are sleeping and then notifies them of it.
There are actually two different types of sleep apnea that adults and children may experience, the more common being obstructive sleep apnea and the second being central sleep apnea.
Characteristic Symptoms
Sleep apnea in children is actually very common, and is characterized by repetitive episodes of upper airways getting blocked that occurs during sleep. It is usually also associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation.
There are a few symptoms that are often associated with this condition, including snoring, incredibly loud snorting, heavy irregular breathing, severe bedwetting, night terrors, confusion upon awakening, morning headaches, excessive daytime sleepiness, developmental problems, and more.
The most difficult thing is the diagnosis of sleep apnea in children, because they are not aware of what they are experiencing and most times their parents are not as well. It therefore requires a lot of cancellations of other problems and conditions from the doctor before they can determine what the actual problem is.
Sleep apnea in children can be especially frightening because of this fact that the children have no idea what is happening to them. If you are a parent of a child suffering from sleep apnea, you really need to make sure that you are there for your children and that you support them and help them through this difficult time.
Sleep apnea in children may be scary but it can also be potentially life threatening in children. The risks of this condition in children include failure to grow, high blood pressure, and even heart problems. This is why it is so important that you make sure that you work closely with your child's doctor so that they can keep an eye on your child's improvement and make sure that the proper improvement is being made.
