Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz, CA
Research indicates that about 10 percent of children snore on a regular basis and, between 2-4 percent of the pediatric population suffers from obstructive sleep apnea, a serious sleep breathing disorder that occurs when the airway becomes blocked during sleep, which results in a lack of oxygen. Recent studies show that even a milder sleep-breathing disorder, or regular snoring, can cause many of the same issues children with sleep apnea face. Therefore, snoring is not cute, and it is something that your child should never do. If you notice your child snores, even occasionally, have them screened for sleep apnea in Scotts Valley.
While not every snorer has a sleep breathing disorder, loud snoring is the biggest warning sign of a sleep breathing disorder such as sleep apnea. Other symptoms include irritability, daytime fatigue, trouble concentrating, restless sleep and frequent mouth breathing, especially while asleep. A child with a sleep breathing disorder may also exhibit hyperactive behavior or bed wetting. It is not unusual for a child who shows symptoms of ADD or ADHD to have a sleep breathing disorder be the cause of their behavior, especially if prescribed medications are not curtailing their hyperactivity.
For children, enlarged tonsils and adenoids are a prime culprit behind the airway issues that cause a sleep breathing disorder. Overweight children also have a higher risk of developing a sleep breathing disorder because of fat deposits around the neck and throat that narrow the airway. Abnormalities of the lower jaw or tongue also can cause issues, as can a neuromuscular ailment such as cerebral palsy.
As you can see, there are many reasons why your child may be losing sleep. It is important, however, to have your child undergo an airway evaluation by the experts at Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry to determine the exact source. We can treat your child according to the severity of his or her sleep apnea. In some cases, myofunctional therapy can help to retrain how the muscles of the mouth and tongue rest and function. This can help facilitate nasal breathing, which may decrease the sleep apnea episodes that your child experiences.
If you notice your child snoring loudly on a regular basis, or also showing behaviors such as gasping, snorting or excessively tossing and turning while asleep, then you should have your child evaluated for a sleep breathing disorder. A sleep apnea dentist can perform an airway evaluation and determine if, or how badly, the airway is blocked. Call the office of Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry at (831) 438-4411 to schedule an evaluation today.
Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry provides total oral health care for patients located in the California communities of Los Gatos, Santa Cruz, and Scotts Valley.
