More often than not, when you hear of sleep apnea, thoughts of adults snoring and sputtering through the night hours comes to mind. Few of us would consider this to be a problem that children also may have to contend with. The condition where the breathing stops for long periods of time can be quite a frightening thing, and what could be much more frightening than when it exists in your children.
How to Know If Your Child Has Central Sleep Apnea:
In adults, sleep apnea is often presented by chronic snoring. However, in children the symptoms may be a little different. They may toss and turn throughout the night, breathe only through their mouth while sleeping, experience night sweats, and yes, even snore. All of these could be an indication that your child is dealing with this condition.
Causes of Sleep Apnea in Children:
While there may be many possibilities for central sleep apnea causes, to date, there has been no definitive explanation for why children develop the condition. Studies have shown that there may be a direct correlation between obesity and the condition, more research needs to be done to be absolutely sure. Other conditions that may have a possible connection would be congestive heart failure, hypothyroid disease, risk of kidney failure, neurological diseases, and damage may have been done to the brainstem caused by injuries or diseases of some type.
Sleep Apnea Diagnosis:
If your child is showing any of the symptoms and has a direct connection to some of the possible central sleep apnea causes, it may be time for you to get a diagnosis. The first step is to see your doctor so that your child can be properly tested for the condition. He will likely want to perform a physical exam, get details about medical history, and in many cases, will want to do an overnight sleep study where they can observe the child and give a thorough test called a polysomnogram. This will be done in a sleep lab with a technologist who will observe electrical activity of the brain function, eye movements, muscle function, heart rate, and breathing patterns. They may even test for how much air is coming in and out and the blood oxygen levels.
As you can see, testing for central sleep apnea can be quite extensive but the consequences of not knowing could be quite severe. So, if your child is demonstrating any of the central sleep apnea causes, it is very important for him or her to be tested as soon as possible. That way, treatment can be started to avoid the condition from causing even more problems in the child's life. Studies have shown that many of the children who suffer from learning disabilities are often undiagnosed with sleep apnea.
This makes it clear that untreated sleep apnea in children could have a direct relationship with how well they do in their future. While we may not know the exact cause of central sleep apnea in children, it is clear that it could be an indication of something more serious that may have an impact on the child's overall health. The sooner you can get a proper diagnosis and begin treatment the happier and healthier he or she will be.