Sometimes children take behaviors from adults who can miss us. An example is that of snoring, especially when they appear separately from the typical seasonal colds. If, in addition, nighttime snoring coincides with a state of frenetic and uncontrolled activity on the part of your child during the day, then they should become a cause for concern.
Tonsillitis and vegetations are two respiratory infections that cause snoring in children. Both tonsils and adenoids are quite large up to 5 years of age, since they act as a protective barrier against germs that enter the child’s body, which can cause snoring. If from that age, the size of these tissues does not reduce properly, it is likely that your child will continue to snore, have a nasal voice or even bad breath.
Like adults, although to a lesser extent, obesity and tobacco (in this case, in the form of passive smoking), as well as allergic rhinitis and gastroesophageal reflux, can also be behind snoring.
One of the symptoms that your child may present if they suffer from any of these diseases is Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome (SAHS), which causes pauses in breathing during sleep and the consequent sudden awakenings. What we commonly know as sleep apnea can have very different consequences for each child.
Some children will present an evident state of tiredness, drowsiness and lack of concentration during the day, while others may, despite everything, maintain a high degree of excitability due to inflammation. This fact, as the pediatrician Lucía Galán points out in her blog, can lead to an erroneous diagnosis of attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) respectively.
If your child suffers from sleep apnea and has attention problems during the day, you should go to your pediatrician’s office. A first detailed review will help you detect tonsillar or adenoid hypertrophy, since high blood pressure or growth delays are factors that may indicate that your child suffers from one of these diseases.
Second, with a brief examination it can be seen with the naked eye if the tonsils are very large or obstructing the child’s throat. In the case of vegetations, the pediatrician will use a rhinoscope to observe their size. The solution for both infections involves a brief surgical intervention, in which the otolaryngologist will remove part of the tonsils and adenoids so that the child can breathe normally again.
