Children who frequently snore may be due to genetics, sleeping position, airway structural abnormalities or obesity, sleep apnea, or nasopharyngeal infections.
Snoring is a sound made during sleep due to passing air causing vibrations of the soft tissues in the nasopharynx. Master, Doctor Dang Thanh Do, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, said that most children’s snoring is benign. Some cases are warning signs of health problems that can affect the body and mind.
Airway obstruction Respiratory diseases are a common cause of snoring in children. This condition is often related to tissue proliferation in the nasopharyngeal area such as tonsillitis, adenoid hypertrophy, nasal turbinate hyperplasia, nasal sinus tumors, nasal polyps, rhinosinusitis due to infection, nasopharyngeal tumors… causes the airway to narrow. When the child tries to inhale, the passing air causes the tissues below the throat to vibrate, creating a snoring sound.
Children with allergic rhinitis and flu cause the airways to become inflamed, the nasal turbinates to swell, and secrete a lot of fluid. This is also the reason why children have to breathe through their mouths, increasing the risk of snoring.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious disorder in which children temporarily stop breathing many times during sleep. The main cause of OSA is airway obstruction, the soft tissue in the throat collapses, disrupting the flow of air in and out. According to Dr. Do, large tonsils and adenoids are the leading risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea in children. Allergic rhinitis can increase the risk of OSA, causing prolonged snoring.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, OSA also causes daytime neurobehavioral problems such as drowsiness, cognitive impairment, hyperactivity, inattention, developmental delay, learning difficulties, and high blood pressure. pressure, cardiac dysfunction, increased risk of cardiopulmonary disease, and metabolic disorders.
Overweight, obese is a condition in which fat accumulates in the neck, causing constriction and narrowing of the upper respiratory tract, reducing muscle tone in the throat, causing the airway to become clogged. Therefore, obese children easily have difficulty breathing and sleep apnea.
The amount of fat concentrated in the chest and abdomen is also the cause of reduced lung capacity and increased oxygen demand. While belly fat can push the diaphragm upward, compress the chest, increase lung pressure, and limit air circulation. Under the influence of gravity, when children lie down to sleep, the tissues around the airway and throat collapse, making it difficult to breathe and creating snoring sounds.
Dr. Do said the sleep quality of obese children with OSA often decreases and does not get enough sleep. This changes the level of the hormone leptin, which has the function of regulating appetite, increasing the level of the hormone ghrelin that causes hunger. From there, children often crave more food during the day, easily causing weight gain. Losing 10% of your body weight can reduce sleep apnea symptoms.
Abnormalities in the airway or facial structure such as deviated nasal septum, small chin, small or receding jaw, narrow pharynx, low pharyngeal curtain…) narrow the airway space. At this time, the upper respiratory tract is congested, breathing is difficult, and children easily snore.
Genetic factors It is also one of the causes of snoring in children. Dr. Do said children whose parents or siblings have a history of snoring or sleep-disordered breathing are also at high risk of experiencing this problem.
Excessive exposure to cigarette smoke and air pollution causes inflammation, swelling of the airways, narrowing of lung capacity, and obstruction of air circulation in the respiratory tract. Toxins accumulate in the lungs, making children susceptible to respiratory infections or triggering exacerbations of existing respiratory diseases such as asthma, airway obstruction, and snoring.
Lie on your back when sleeping also leads to frequent snoring. In this position, the tissues around the airway collapse under the influence of gravity, the soft palate comes into contact with the tongue and throat, causing the airway to become narrower, making the snoring sound louder. Placing children on their side with their head elevated when sleeping helps reduce snoring time, reduce the number of times they wake up in the middle of the night, and increase the rate of deep sleep time.
Staying up late, stressedlack of sleep in children causes the muscles in the back of the throat to relax more, leading to snoring.
Symptoms of snoring, apnea, and hypopnea occur at night, making it difficult to observe and recognize the severity. Dr. Do recommends that parents take their children to the doctor when they snore a lot and frequently, affecting the quality of sleep, daily activities, and reduced learning…
The doctor prescribes an ENT endoscopy, respiratory function measurement, spirometry or polysomnography at night while sleeping… to diagnose the cause. Treatment methods vary, depending on the nature of snoring, the level of apnea, and the child’s physical condition.