Snoring Measures to Silence the Sawing
SNORING Measures to Silence the Sawing
That sawing you hear coming from your child's room may sound like a carpenter hard at work. But woodworking isn't the sort of activity that occurs in tyke-land in the middle of the night. Snoring is.
''Many children snore occasionally,'' says David N. F. Fairbanks, M.D., clinical professor of otolaryngology at George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., a spokesperson for the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and author of Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. ''Often it's because they have a cold, an allergy or an infection like tonsillitis.''
Any one of those conditions can cause the tissues of the throat to swell. ''The sawing sound you hear is caused by the tonsils, adenoids and palate partially blocking the airway and flapping in the breeze,'' explains William Potsic, M.D., director of otolaryngology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a leading expert on sleep apnea in children.
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| When to See the Doctor He's a restless sleeper, maybe a bed wetter. He snores loudly and irregularly--his growling snores sometimes interrupted by 5, 10 even 30 seconds of silence after which he rouses and turns over. After a little time passes, he begins snoring again and the pattern resumes. These are the signs of obstructive sleep apnea, a potentially life-threatening disorder that needs to be treated by a doctor, says David N. F. Fairbanks, M.D., clinical professor of otolaryngology at George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., a spokesperson for the American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and author of Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The problem is often caused by severely enlarged tonsils and adenoids. At night, when the throat muscles relax, the enlarged tissues simply collapse on each other, completely blocking the airway. ''So the child has multiple awakenings during the night to restart his breathing,'' Dr. Fairbanks explains. But sleep apnea also produces some signs that you should be alert for in the daytime, including: * Hyperactivity. When children who don't get enough sleep start feeling drowsy the next day, they may jack up their activity to a frantic level in an effort to stay awake, says Dr. Fairbanks. * Reduced rate of growth. ''Some kids with apnea tend to be rather small because they fail to thrive,'' says William Potsic, M.D., director of otolaryngology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a leading expert on sleep apnea in children. ''They find it difficult to eat and breathe at the same time, so they're poor eaters--picky and slow. They also use a lot of energy to breathe, especially at night. The net result is they tend to be below average in weight.'' * Poor speech habits. ''Sometimes they talk like they have a mouthful of hot potato,'' says Dr. Potsic. ''Doctors actually refer to it as 'hot potato voice.' '' * Poor performance in school. It's hard for kids with apnea to concentrate and be their best because they're not getting adequate rest. If you observe these symptoms, be sure to consult a doctor, suggests Lucinda Halstead, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences and the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. ''Most children outgrow the condition as they get older, usually around seven to nine years of age,'' she adds. |
When your child recovers from his allergy attack, cold or tonsillitis, the snoring should stop, says Dr. Fairbanks. ''Snoring is not normal,'' says Dr. Fairbanks. ''Any time there's snoring, there's airway obstruction. And the heavier the snoring, the more obstruction there is. There's nothing good about having obstructed breathing.'' Also, Dr. Fairbanks warns, snoring could be a sign of sleep apnea. So children should see a doctor whenever their snoring continues night after night. However, if your child's snoring is the milder, temporary sort brought on by allergy or illness, the experts say you can treat it at home in much the same way you treat a cold.
Let saltwater open things up. ''If mucus is contributing to the blockage problem, you can flush it out with saltwater,'' says Dr. Fairbanks. Saltwater nasal drops are available in drugstores. But you can make your own by dissolving ¼ teaspoon of salt in eight ounces of water, he says. Be sure to boil the water first to sterilize it--letting it cool down to body temperature before you put it in the nose dropper.
Try a decongestant. ''Try an over-the-counter oral decongestant medication made especially for children,'' says Dr. Potsic. ''A decongestant doesn't really cure a cold or allergy, but it does treat the symptoms,'' he says. ''It helps kids breathe a little better so they feel a little better. And it may cut down on the snoring.'' If you do use a decongestant, be sure to read the package directions--or check with your physician--for the correct dosage for your child.
Steer clear of snore-triggers. You should avoid products containing antihistamines, which can be sedating and may actually cause snoring, says Dr. Potsic. ''Sedating medicines relax nerves and muscles,'' he notes. ''This reduces the muscle tone in the tissues of the throat, making them more likely to collapse and trigger snoring.''
Find a better sleep position. ''See if there's a position that allows your child to keep his airway open and to breathe more comfortably,'' suggests Lucinda Halstead, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences and the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. ''For example, some children do better lying on their sides with their heads propped up a little bit on the pillow.''
Turn on a tape recorder. If your child's snoring is not responding to these measures or seems to be growing worse, there's something else you can do at home that will assist the doctor. ''Parents can help the specialist by tape recording their snoring child as he sleeps at night,'' says Dr. Potsic.
Diagnosis of sleep apnea is sometimes difficult, he says, so this tape recording is a good reference. ''During an office visit, your child is awake, smiling and happy. The doctor isn't able to observe the child struggling in his sleep. That's why it would be really helpful to play a recording of the noisy breathing.''
