ENT Head & Neck Surgery Center

Rm 02, 5/F., Kai Seng Commerical Centre,
4-6 Hankow Road, TST Kln, HK
(near Kowloon Hotel)
Tel: (852) 3100 0555
Fax: (852) 3100 0556

Lawrence Chow / ENT Doctor

Sleep Disordered Breathing

Sleep Apnea in Children: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

In babies and children, sleep apnea can be a disturbing and dangerous condition. This article goes over causes of sleep apnea in children, symptoms and its treatments.

 

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a serious illness that can be life-threatening. It’s when the throat muscles relax and the airway becomes blocked during sleep, disrupting the breathing pattern. Sleep apnea can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. More than 80% of those who have this condition are overweight or obese. It can also lead to long-term mental health problems such as depression or anxiety.

 

Who has it?

A recent study showed that about 30% of children in the US have obstructive sleep apnea, even though many are not identified. This is much higher than in adults, where the percentage is around 5%. The percentage in adults decreases when they move into the retirement age.

 

How do you know if your child has sleep apnea?

Children with sleep apnea usually snore, have difficulty breathing or pause for a few seconds while they are sleeping. They also exhibit symptoms of daytime sleepiness and struggle to maintain attention in school. It is important to identify this condition in children because it can lead to emotional and behavioral problems.

Some of these symptoms are similar to those described in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In fact, some children with sleep apnea are misdiagnosed as having ADHD.

 

Signs of Sleep Apnea in children

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes people to stop and start breathing during sleep. This may happen as many as 10 times an hour. Sleep apnea is most common in adults, but children can also have it. Symptoms of sleep apnea in children include:

  • Snore loudly
  • Stop breathing intermittently during sleep, followed by snorting or gasping
  • Sleep in abnormal position
  • Sweat heavily during sleep
  • Difficult to wake up in the morning
  • Headache in early morning after waking up
  • Have difficulty at school or behavioural difficulty
  • Moody, irritable
  • Inattention
  • Have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Daytime sleepiness

 

How to treat sleep apnea in children

Most children suffering from sleep apnea could be cured by surgical excision of the tonsils and adenoid. It is considered to be a low risk surgical procedure.

When Surgery is considered inappropriate, a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment will be considered. The setting of the CPAP treatment has to be determined by a proper overnight sleep test.

Children suffering from mild sleep apnea may also improve with medical treatment.

 

Did you find the information useful? If so, continue reading our posts.

 

For details of our ENT services, diagnosis, and treatment, please consult our ENT specialist.

 

Source:

HK ENT Specialist Ltd.

Hong Kong based ENT clinic centre

For ENT Services, Audiology & Speech Therapy,

Sleep Disordered Breathing Management,

Hearing Aid Prescription & Medical Cosmetic Services

https://www.hkentspecialist.hk

The Risks and Dangers of Rhinoplasty

The Risks and Dangers of Rhinoplasty

 

Rhinoplasty refers to cosmetic or corrective surgery of the nose. Most people undergo rhinoplasty to alter the way their nose looks or is structured. It is also conducted to repair or restore a person’s nose that may have been disfigured due to an accident or complications from previous surgeries.

However, as is the case with all forms of surgery, there is the potential for risks and side effects. Even the most successful rhinoplastic operations may lead to some complications. Here is a look at some of the risks and side effects of rhinoplasy. Continue reading

What You Should Know About Rhinoplasty

What You Should Know About Rhinoplasty

 

Defining Rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty is a form of cosmetic surgery and refers to the surgical alteration of a person’s nose. The procedure may alter the specific shape of the nose to make it smaller or larger, to alter the nose’s angle, re-shape the very tip, or to correct defects and indentations or bumps.

 

Rhinoplasty is a very common procedure and is now becoming one of the more affordable forms of cosmetic surgery. However, rhinoplasty is not just for cosmetic purposes: it may also be used to treat people with breathing disorders or other conditions disrupting their olfactory senses. Continue reading

Do Sleep Disorders Cause Ear Problems?

Do Sleep Disorders Cause Ear Problems?

 

You are likely to have ear problems if you are afflicted with sleep apnea. If you examine the anatomy of your ear, you will see why having a sleeping disorder will lead to a number of ear problems.

 

Ear Problems and Sleep Apnea are Inter-related

 

You cannot effectively get rid of your ear problems without treating your sleep apnea first because your ear and throat are inter-connected. Ear problems can be better managed by understanding the various kinds of ear inflammation caused by sleep apnea together with a clear understanding of how the mechanism of your ear works. Continue reading

Common Signs and Symptoms of ENT Disorders

Common Signs and Symptoms of ENT Disorders

 

The ears, nose and throat are all connected and this is why there is a kind of doctor that specializes in disorders affecting these parts of the body and face.  There are lots of ENT disorders, and the best way to determine your specific problem is to see an ENT specialist. Here are some of the signs and symptoms of an ENT problem. Continue reading

Nose Problems – Should I See an ENT Specialist?

Nose Problems – Should I See an ENT Specialist?
The human body is anything but simple. There are many different organs in our body performing many different functions. For most people, the idea of nose problems is not familiar to them. Most of us associate diseases and infections with our lungs, our heart, our brain, our digestive tract, etc but the nose is often overlooked. The truth is, our nose does cause problems every once in awhile, although for some, they have chronic problems that are related to their nose. Continue reading

Breathing Problems You Should Be Wary Of

Breathing Problems You Should Be Wary Of

 

Breathing problems are brought about by several causes and not treating these underlying causes will result in dire consequences. If you are having breathing difficulties, it is imperative that you see an ENT specialist right away. Doing so will help you prevent the problem from getting worse and also avoid the unwanted consequences. Continue reading

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