news-date">05.04.2023
Australian researchers found that children treated with a saline nasal spray significantly reduced breathing problems during sleep after six weeks. One of these breathing problems is obstructive sleep apnea, ie breathing pauses during sleep, which are usually associated with snoring.
“Children with these sleep disorders often suffer from daytime sleepiness and concentration problems. Studies indicate that obstructive sleep apnea can lead to the development of over time obesity, high blood sugar level, high blood pressure and promotes a lipid metabolism disorder. Therefore, this simple saline measure can help improve the quality of life of some affected children,” explains Dr. Monika Niehaus, pediatrician and member of the expert panel of the Professional Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ).
About 2% of children aged 2 to 8 years are affected by obstructive sleep apnea. This is often due to oversized tonsils (“polyps”) in the back of the nose and throat behind and above the uvula. If other treatments are unsuccessful, these can be reduced or removed by means of a surgical procedure. Other risk factors for breathing disorders during sleep include obesity, anatomical peculiarities such as a particularly large tongue or deviations in the nasal septum, and an allergic cold. In the latter case, the mucus and swelling of the airways impair their function. If you are overweight, additional fatty tissue in the throat and chest can make it difficult to breathe when lying down. As the number of overweight children increases, so does the number of adolescents at risk. “If a child snores constantly, is affected by breathing pauses while sleeping and the quality of their sleep suffers as a result, so that they are tired during the day, cannot concentrate and may also have learning difficulties, parents should have their child examined more closely,” adds Dr. Niehaus.
Sources: JAMA Pediatr., Lung, Int J Environ Res Public Health., Medpage Today
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