 All parents are quick to mention some medical conditions in their teens to their pediatrician such as fever, seizures, bleeding, etc. But parents have to realize that snoring is another important symptom that your child’s doctor needs to know about. Nevertheless, teen snoring often goes unreported.
Parents should know that snoring can be the symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. During this sleep disorder teenagers will experience pauses in breathing during sleep. It has been proved that OSA can cause growth problems.
Obstructive sleep apnea has also been linked to poor school performance, difficulties in learning, elevated blood pressure, bedwetting, and even death. This sleep disorder is not similar to primary snoring. Primary snoring doesn’t cause sleep disruption or breathing problems. Primary snoring is more common than OSA. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs in about 2% of teenagers.
Snoring is very common among school-age children, but it is more than twice as common among children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Snoring can lead to decreased sleep quality, which can produce all of the symptoms of ADHD. Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder can become much better or completely disappear with the help of proper treatment. Exposure to passive tobacco smoke may directly cause ADHD symptoms. It has been estimated that teenagers who are exposed to passive smoking have over a 100% - 300% increased chance of snoring.
Teenagers who snore usually experience the deficiency of adequate sleep. Such serious medical condition as obstructive sleep apnea is a common today. More and more teenagers and children begin to suffer from it.
Children of age of 2 to 5 are most vulnerable to this sleep disorder, but it can occur at any age. Not all teenagers who snore have sleep apnea. Typically, sleep apnea is accompanied by nighttime breathing difficulty and pauses in breathing. In this case teenagers should be brought to the pediatrician. You may also make a cassette tape of your child's sleep noises to bring with you.
Children that suffer from sleep apnea do not get sound sleep. And, as a rule, they may also get suboptimal oxygen to the brain at night. This medical condition can have a serious negative impact on a child's mentality and behavior.
The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are the following:
- decreased academic performance
- controversial behavior
- restlessness
- sleep apnea may not be accompanied by snoring
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