Often there is snoring in a child. According to statistics, in 5% of children examined, episodic apnea is detected during sleep, and in 15 - snoring. According to the mechanism of occurrence, snoring is the same at any age. It begins when the muscles of the soft palate, tongue, and pharynx relax. The air vibrates the palatine curtain and snoring forms.
There are various causes of snoring in children.
Firstly, these are colds, the origin of which has a viral component. In such cases , the nasal mucosa swells in children, the palatine tongue and soft palate thicken , nasal breathing is disturbed, as a result, the palatine pharynx is narrowed in a dream.
With such manifestations, parents need to put a pillow higher, humidify the air in the room (by hanging a damp towel near the bed or using a spray), clean the baby’s nose and drip the nasal cavities with a salt solution.
The second reason that causes nasal breathing and children's snoring is allergic edema. In such a situation, antiallergic drugs should be used . For children over two years old, desensitizing sprays are suitable, for younger ones, they use a normal saline solution (sodium chlorine 9%). It is possible to take anti-allergic drugs inside.
Adenoid growths (vegetation adenoid) of nasopharyngeal tonsils are a common cause of childhood snoring. This condition in children leads to difficulties for air to pass through the external respiratory tract, it becomes difficult for the child to breathe with his nose, which is less and less involved in the breathing process, since adenoids close the nasal cavity. Typically, such difficulties occur in children under 10-12 years old.
With these symptoms, you need to consult an otolaryngologist, who usually prescribes surgery. To prevent the occurrence of adenoids and to eliminate snoring in a child, frequent diseases of the nasopharynx should not be allowed, it is necessary to harden in the spring-summer period of the child's body.
Snoring in a child can occur as a result of an increase in the thymus gland, which is a hormonal immune organ that affects the growth of the child’s body, and also provides protection against diseases. The reverse development of the thymus gland occurs by 13-14 years of age. Excessive enlargement of the gland is dangerous for children. In babies up to 2 years old - this can be the cause of sudden death, since the thymus gland compresses large nerves and blood vessels. Also, with its increase, difficulties come with inspiration, and the breath itself takes a noisy, stridor-like hue. Symptoms become very pronounced with physical exertion or with anxiety, as well as while feeding the baby. As a result of noisy anguished breathing, a thickening of the palatine tongue and soft palate occurs.
With such manifestations, a pediatrician should be consulted, who should prescribe an ultrasound scan. To alleviate the condition, it is recommended that the child is in an elevated position in bed, you can not overfeed the baby in the evening to avoid burping food. Preventive measures are required to prevent viral diseases.
The cause of snoring can be severe pathologies of the central nervous system, genetic diseases. The mechanism for the occurrence of deviations is the same. However, the basis for the appearance of snoring in a child is a violation of the cranial innervation of the pharynx, soft palate and tongue. In this case, you need to consult a neurologist prescribing a comprehensive treatment of a causative disease.