While you may associate sleep apnea with adults, children can suffer from this condition as well. However, diagnosing sleep apnea in a child can be difficult, since many of the "risk factors" present in adults simply aren't applicable to children. If you suspect your child has sleep apnea after observing his or her seemingly excess fatigue or sleepiness after a full night's sleep, loud snoring, or strange breathing patterns while in a deep sleep, it can be worth having a full medical workup to get a concrete diagnosis. Read on to learn more about the treatment options for childhood sleep apnea that can help control this condition well into the teen years and even adulthood.
Tonsillectomy
Sleep apnea doesn't always have a single cause, but is instead generally defined as any interruption in the normal breathing process while asleep. For many adults, sleep apnea develops when excess tissue in the sinuses or the back of the throat begins to "flop" over the airway while the muscles are relaxed. For children, the same effect can be realized with overly large tonsils or adenoids that partially block the airway while sleeping in certain positions.
If your child's sleep apnea is caused (or aggravated) by enlarged tonsils, a simple tonsillectomy may be all that is needed to solve this medical issue for good. By reducing the amount of excess tissue near the airway, a surgeon can ensure that your child's airway remains unrestricted no matter how relaxed your child's muscles are or what sleeping position he or she is using.
CPAP Machine
For sleep apnea that doesn't appear to be caused by excess tissue (or at least not tissue that can be easily or safely removed), a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine may be the answer. As the name implies, this machine is designed to establish and maintain a constant pressure within the airway, preventing the started-and-stopped breathing that can lead to apnea complications.
Not all children will tolerate a CPAP machine, as it will require them to sleep with a breathing mask on (and to ignore the sometimes loud volume of this machine as it works to maintain airway pressure). However, for situations in which your child's sleep apnea is generating some serious medical consequences or has the potential to lead to future health complications, the regular use of a CPAP machine while sleeping may be the solution you need to ensure your child's sleep is healthy and high quality.
Contact a health provider, like Delaware Medical Group Inc, for more help.
