"Most people who snore don't have obstructive sleep apnea, but most people who have apnea snore."
Parents should not ignore snoring in kids. To some they think that snoring is a normal thing, to others there may be underlying factors that cause a child to snore. For me, I may not have any medical knowledge, but mother's instinct tells me that snoring is bothersome.
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| Ctto. Got this from Pinterest, can't remember where. |
I heard my son snore early this year. Since I heard him, I never stopped seeking for medical advice. His pediatrician advised me to observe him and see if his lip color changes as he snores, and to change his sleeping position. We were also advised to consult an ENT doctor.
The first ENT doctor who checked my son just gave him a nasal spray as he might also have an allergic rhinitis just like me. I was still not complacent about it and decided to consult another ENT doctor, my husband's doctor. Dr. Efren Gutierrez of Asian Hospital said that my son has enlarged tonsils and requested for a sleep study.
To make the long story short, the sleep study result is Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. A not so good news indeed.
"Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times. This means the brain -- and the rest of the body -- may not get enough oxygen."
(http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-apnea/sleep-apnea)
When I posted my son's photo while he was being prepared for his sleep study, some told me "Okay lang yan, mawawala rin yan paglaki, ganyan din anak ko naghihilik." I'm a first time mom, and it's also my first time to hear a child snores that's why I cannot accept it as "Okay" just because other moms said so.
The truth is, not every parent is aware that a snoring child may already be suffering from a sleep disorder, unless a sleep study is done. Who would want to spend Php 20,000 for a sleep study? Good thing we have HMO that covers it. So, unless a child undergoes a sleep study and the result says "Okay, normal," I will never believe that snoring is okay, definitely not without a medical proof.
I would want to start an awareness on sleep apnea on kids here in the Philippines because I am a mother. I am one of those moms who wake up in the middle of the night to check if my kid still breathes.
How terrible it is for a mother to witness her child suddenly pauses in breathing. I was even able to count the number of seconds he was not breathing, and it was so devastating. As per his sleep study result, in an hour, he stops breathing almost every 5 minutes while sleeping especially during the time when he is already dreaming (REM sleep).
How terrible it is for a mother to witness her child suddenly pauses in breathing. I was even able to count the number of seconds he was not breathing, and it was so devastating. As per his sleep study result, in an hour, he stops breathing almost every 5 minutes while sleeping especially during the time when he is already dreaming (REM sleep).
We consulted another pediatrician who specializes in sleep medicine because we wanted to consider CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine. They only advise to use this machine for temporary relief for kids. The machine is pricey but three times cheaper abroad. Adults are having a hard time adopting to the machine, how much more are the kids. I don't think my son can tolerate this one because he can't even last in a nebulizer. We were advised that if there are already many symptoms observed on the child, then tonsillectomy should be scheduled sooner than later.
Some of the symptoms I noticed on my son were:
1. Noisy breathing. Even if his mouth is closed, he breathes noisily that I get confused if it's already snoring or breathing.
2. Snoring no matter what his sleeping position is. Suspine, left side, right side, on his stomach, I still hear him snore. Less snoring I hear when he sleeps on his left side and on his stomach.
3. Headache in the morning. He used to tell me upon waking up "Mom, I'm tired, sakit ng head ko." Since I did not know before about sleep apnea, I used to answer him "Kakagising mo lang pagod ka na? Napagod ka matulog?"
4. Gasping for breathe. The doctor said, that when this happens, it means that his brain already awakened him so he would breathe again. According to him, this happens after he just stops breathing.
Question and answer portion with the doctors (paraphrased):
1. Will the tonsils become smaller as the child grows?
- It is unlikely to happen. The size of the tonsils will remain the same but as the child grows bigger, the airway passage becomes bigger too that the big tonsils will no longer be able to block the air going in.
2. When can the child possibly outgrow the tonsils?
- Around 8 to 10 years of age. But since your child is just 5 years old, you will have to wait for 3 or more years and there will be many risks during those years that the sleep apnea is not being treated.
3. What are the risks of sleep apnea on my son?
- As the child stops breathing, the oxygen level in the brain drops. He could also develop heart problem. Sleepiness that his school performance will be affected. And opposite to the effect on adult, the child becomes hyperactive.
4. Is it okay to remove the tonsils? Isn't it our body's filter from bacteria and viruses?
- It is not the only filter in our immune system. Our body has many other ways of fighting viruses and bacteria.
5. How long will the recovery take for a child?
- Give it two weeks. Few days in the hospital, and the rest of the days at home to avoid bleeding in the throat since a child is normally active.
6. On allergic rhinitis and sleep apnea?
- Treat the allergic rhinitis as it adds up to sleep apnea. Nasal spray and nebulize as often as possible. Avoid the triggers of the allergy.
Removal of tonsillitis (Tonsillectomy) is the only solution for my son's sleep apnea. But having the tonsillitis removed is not an assurance that his snoring will totally stop. I have read that there may also be other factors such as the neck, jaw, etc. For now, as a mother, I am still not ready to let my child undergo a surgery, but we are still praying and hoping; we are still thinking, and we never stop studying more about this sleep apnea thing. In the end, we will still opt for what is best for my son.
While reading articles about sleep apnea on kids, I came across this helpful article:
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