Why Snoring In Children Should Not Be Ignored | Paediatrician
A Consultant paediatrician has urged parents to seek medical attention for their children who snore, noting that it could be a sign of serious health problems.
According to Dr. Ayodele Renner, snoring is often due to difficulty in breathing which may have been caused by infected adenoids.
The child health expert explained that children sometimes snore when the adenoids have become enlarged due to infections or allergies.
According to a child health welfare online site – Kidshealth.org, adenoids are a patch of tissue that sits at the very back of the nasal passage.
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Speaking on the management of adenoids, Renner said the condition can be successfully managed conservatively in some children while others may need to get surgery to have the adenoids removed by an ear, nose and throat surgeon as a last resort.
According to experts, while the adenoid glands are part of the immune system and help protect the body from viruses and bacteria, surgery may become necessary to remove the adenoids when they become swollen or enlarged because of an infection or allergies.
The medical health education site, clevelandclinic.com, explained further that “when a child’s adenoids become enlarged, they can cause problems by partially blocking his or her airway.
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“When this happens, children can have breathing problems, ear infections, or other complications, which can lead to snoring or more serious conditions such as sleep apnoea (stopping breathing) at night.
“Chronic (long-term) nasal drainage, congestion, and sinus infections can also be seen. Enlarged adenoids can also affect the recurrence (return) of ear infections and chronic fluid in the ear, which can result in temporary hearing loss.
“Surgery to remove the glands is often needed. Removing them has not been shown to affect a child’s ability to fight infections,”
the site noted.