Childhood Obesity Can Cause Sleep Apnea
Childhood obesity can create many health problems for children. Some health problems include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type II Diabetes, hip problems, depression...
Posted on October 30, 2017
Pediatric ENTIf your child has trouble concentrating in school, lacks energy or is snoring while asleep, he or she may be suffering from sleep apnea. It’s estimated that one to four percent of children suffer from sleep apnea and many of them are between the ages of two and eight.1 An ear, nose, throat specialist can diagnose sleep apnea and prescribe effective treatments.
What to know about sleep apnea in children
There are many signs and symptoms of sleep apnea and some appear to be unrelated to a lack of sleep. For example, you may think your child is having difficulty in school due to concentration problems. Your child may be hyperactive and exhibit the classic symptoms of ADHD, or, on the other hand, he or she may be lethargic. All of these may be related to repeatedly interrupted sleep.
Common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea in your child
There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive (OSA) and central sleep apnea
Confusing diagnoses
As you can see from the long list of symptoms, it can be confusing to determine the causes of some types of childhood behavior and physical problems. For example, the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) states that as many as 25 percent of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may, in fact, have symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and that “much of their learning difficulty and behavior problems can be the consequence of chronic fragmented sleep1.”
Suspected sleep disorders should be addressed and properly diagnosed. Believing that a child will grow out of his or her sleep disorders can be detrimental to long-term health. It may create a wide range of problems that can range from hormonal problems to the ability of the brain to organize thoughts and actions. Sleep is so important that the ASAA quotes one of its board members, Judith Owens, M.D., director of sleep medicine at the National Children’s Medical Center in Washington, DC as saying that “adequate healthy sleep is as important as proper diet and sufficient exercise in preventing childhood obesity.”
How is sleep apnea diagnosed?
As with adults, one of the ways to diagnose sleep apnea in children is in a sleep lab. The child sleeps in a comfortable bed in a bedroom setting while hooked up to sleep monitors2 called “electrodes.” They are not electrified; rather, they are diagnostic leads that detect many different things while the child sleeps including brain function, breathing and eye movement. A sleep technologist is present during the sleep lab overnight to supervise your child and to gather data. When the sleep study is complete, the data is interpreted by a doctor who is a board-certified sleep specialist (see Dr. Don Sesso, D.O.).
In addition to requesting a sleep study, your child’s physician will conduct a physical examination and collect a medical history, including information about the child’s sleep patterns and behavior while sleeping.
How is sleep apnea treated?
There are several different types of treatment depending upon the diagnosed cause of the sleep apnea. They can include:
Support for sleep apnea
Parents who suspect their children suffer from sleep apnea should consult their child’s physician and an ear, nose, throat specialist. Once diagnosed, treatments for sleep apnea can improve sleep and daily functioning for the child. Parents of children with sleep apnea can find support through the ASAA and their A.W.A.K.E. group network3.
References
1: https://www.sleepapnea.org/treat/childrens-sleep-apnea/
2: http://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/obstructive-sleep-apnea
3: https://www.sleepapnea.org/community/all-about-awake/a-w-a-k-e-network-map/
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