Host: We generally think that snoring is a problem for adults, but many parents report that their children also have snoring, why do children snore?
Experts: Under normal circumstances in the sleep state should not have snoring phenomenon, snoring means that there is a narrowing factor in the upper respiratory tract, from the nasal cavity to the throat we call the upper respiratory tract. If there is a narrowing of the upper respiratory tract in children, snoring will occur. If a child has persistent habitual snoring and parents observe a sleep state with inspiratory effort (gasping for air), it should be considered abnormal and we call it apnea syndrome in children, which is a clear danger to the growth and health of children. Compared to adult apnea patients, apnea in children is less frequent and shorter in duration during sleep, so it is not easy to observe. Of course, if the occasional snoring is caused by cold and cold, it will not cause any harm to the body. Army
Moderator: Is the incidence of apnea syndrome in children very low?
Expert: The incidence rate of apnea syndrome in children is around 1% to 3%. But the current problem is that people are not fully aware of the seriousness of the snoring problem in children.
Moderator: Why does apnea syndrome occur in children? What is the age of its prevalence? Are there any gender differences in the onset of the disease?
Expert: Unlike adults, children have rapid proliferation of lymphoid tissue in the upper respiratory tract between the ages of 2 and 6 or 7, mainly enlarged tonsils and adenoids. The enlarged tonsils and adenoids block the nasopharynx and oropharynx, narrowing the patient’s upper airway and causing respiratory distress and apnea during sleep. The prevalence of apnea syndrome in children ranges from 2 to 6 or 7 years of age, and there is no gender difference in its onset. Of course, in addition to adenoid tonsillar hypertrophy, there are other less common causes of apnea syndrome in children.
Moderator: What are the main manifestations of apnea syndrome in children and what harm does it do to the organism? How can parents identify whether their children are suffering from this disease?
Experts: During nighttime sleep, the main manifestations of apnea syndrome in children are snoring, open-mouth breathing, labored breathing, abnormal thoracic movement during inhalation, observable apnea, excessive sweating, nightmares, restless sleep, bedwetting, etc. The general clinical manifestations of patients during the day are nasal congestion, open-mouth breathing, fatigue, drowsiness, irritability (anxious personality), etc. Some patients have changes in facial appearance, learning, and learning. Some patients have facial changes, decreased academic performance, personality changes, etc. Those with combined sinusitis have increased nasal congestion, runny nose, etc. Those with combined catarrhal otitis media have hearing loss; severe patients have obvious chicken chest, shorter stature, etc. Apnea syndrome in children not only affects the physical development of patients, but also their intellectual development.
Patients’ sleep quality is affected by the effort of breathing at night, which leads to drowsiness and weakness during the day, memory loss, and decreased academic performance; the increase of respiratory resistance leads to abnormal movement of the thorax, and over time, a chicken chest is formed; the decrease of sleep quality affects the secretion of growth hormone, and the growth and development is affected by the effort of breathing and the increase of pharyngeal secretion; the long-term open-mouth breathing leads to facial changes; because of local Because of local obstruction and decreased resistance of the body, patients are prone to combined otitis media and sinusitis.
Host: If parents suspect that their child has apnea syndrome, what should they do next?
Expert: Parents of children can go to a large hospital where they can get medical advice. ENT doctors with experience in sleep medicine can make a preliminary diagnosis based on medical history and physical examination, and further confirm the diagnosis through overnight sleep monitoring if necessary. The doctor will recommend the next step of treatment according to the child’s specific situation.
Moderator: In general, what kind of treatment measures should be taken for children with apnea syndrome?
Expert: Because the main cause of apnea syndrome in children is tonsillar adenoid hypertrophy, the treatment is based on tonsillar adenoid removal.
Moderator: How is the surgery done? Does the surgery require general anesthesia? Is there any harm to the child from the anesthesia and the surgery itself? How dangerous is the surgery?
Experts: The surgery must be performed in a large hospital with general anesthesia. The anesthesia is painless for the patient during the surgery. The excision of adenoids is performed under the direct vision of nasal endoscope, which is a minimally invasive surgery. The adenoids are surrounded by other important anatomical structures, and the nasal endoscopy allows complete removal of the adenoids without damaging the surrounding normal structures. The tonsils are cut out through the mouth, and the general anesthesia ensures that the tonsils are completely cut and that intraoperative hemostasis is easy to perform. This procedure is now a very mature surgical procedure with minimal surgical damage, anesthesia and surgical risk.
Moderator: What are the results of the surgery?
Expert: The main cause of apnea syndrome in children is tonsillar adenoid hypertrophy, and surgery is effective and generally curable.
Host: The main cause of apnea syndrome in children is tonsillar adenoid hypertrophy, I heard that the adenoids will gradually shrink after 10 years old, can we not do surgery first, wait until the child grows to 10 years old and then observe and observe?
Expert: This is a misconception. If the apnea syndrome in children is not treated in time, irreparable damage will be done before the patient is 10 years old. For example, the decline in academic performance, the formation of chicken chest, the harm to the cardiovascular system, psychological harm, craniofacial developmental deformities, nasal cavity costal atrophy, etc.
Moderator: After listening to your introduction of apnea syndrome in children, I feel that this is really a very serious health problem, whether the current medical workers are basically able to timely diagnosis and reasonable treatment of this disease?
Expert: Even in Western developed countries, the awareness of the seriousness of apnea syndrome in children is only in recent years. Therefore, not all medical professionals have a correct understanding of apnea syndrome in children, and it is easy to misdiagnose it clinically. Apnea syndrome in children is easily misdiagnosed as: chicken chest due to calcium deficiency, chronic rhinitis sinusitis, mental decline, idiopathic lethargy, etc.