Snoring through the nose in children: causes and treatment

Snoring is due to some obstruction in the upper airways in both children and adults, but is it normal for a child to snore? Sometimes yes, nothing happens if a child snores occasionally, this can be due to the position in which they are sleeping or if they have very soft snoring; it does not imply any problem, but loud snoring can be an indicator of an obstructive respiratory disorder Sleep (TROS), which does require medical attention. In the following FastlyHealarticle, we talk about the causes and treatment of snoring through the Nose in children.

Classification of snoring through the Nose in children

Snoring is divided into four degrees:

1. Primary snoring: so-called when a child snores more than three nights a week, without apneas (stops breathing) or hypopnea (living little), or waking up.
2. Upper airway resistance syndrome: in these cases, in addition to snoring, children wake up but do not stop breathing.
3. Obstructive hypoventilation: snoring and abnormal breathing, such as uncoordinated, but the child never stops breathing.
4. Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAS): this is the most severe degree; there is snoring and apneas, that is, the child stops breathing during sleep and wakes up very agitated by it, they may wake up crying, scared, or breathing fast and with apprehension.

It is essential that when we notice that a child snores, we observe him or identify any of these signs, especially to detect the presence of apneas, to give them immediate medical attention.

Causes of snoring through the Nose in children

Several factors come together to make a child have trouble breathing; we are going to explain them:

• Anatomical factors: these are factors inherent to the child’s body, the most common is having tonsil hypertrophy, that is, having huge tonsils; this may be due to a growth issue, being allergic, or frequently getting sick from the respiratory tract. Another factor is having a vast tongue, called hypertrophy of the language, or having a malformation of the face, such as those associated with some genetic syndromes.
• Ease of collapse in the upper airway: this means that a specific part of the mouth and pharynx, which is the tube that connects the mouth with the stomach, can “fall,” that is, the upper part that should be kept a certain distance from the lower part always to have the airway free and the air to pass, it closes a little or, which prevents the air from passing, and the person cannot breathe until he wakes up and makes the conscious and voluntary movement of opening the airway. This can happen more frequently in neuromuscular problems or obese patients.
• Abnormal neural regulation: this usually happens in children with neurological damage or malformations of the nervous system, preventing them from keeping the airway open or waking up and making a conscious effort to open the larynx to allow air to pass through. Therefore, they may have more frequent and more extended periods of apnea.

As we can see, there are conditions that we cannot avoid and in which a specific precaution against apnea must always be maintained. Conclusion: there is a particular condition that is avoidable, correctable, and extremely dangerous: obesity. It has been found that almost half of obese children snore and have apnea or hypopnea, which causes them many problems, in addition to those that obesity brings.

Problems associated with snoring through the Nose in children

Several types of problems are associated with snoring in children and mainly apnea.

• Behavioral and neurocognitive disorders: the main problem detected in all the studies carried out on children with hoarseness and apnea is hyperactivity. A child who sleeps poorly often wakes up hyperactive, has trouble concentrating in school and performs poorly in school, has problems with social and behavioral skills in general, and can be distracted and even aggressive in situations where it should not be. If left untreated, these problems can lead to others, such as depression, poor quality of life, and other health problems.
• Pro-inflammatory state: in several studies, it has been found that children who snore regularly tend to suffer from constant inflammation, which we can notice by the release of various substances into the blood as if they had some part of the body inflamed. This occurs because different inflammatory cells increase, and some signals from the body are typically released when there is inflammation.
• Cardiovascular effects: Lack of oxygen and increased carbon dioxide levels in the blood caused by apnea can cause changes in the mechanism that causes the heart to beat with reasonable frequency. Children with sleep disorders can have high blood pressure and changes in pressure between day and night.
• Metabolic alterations: glucose management alterations can also be seen, having insulin resistance, high cholesterol, and a decrease in vitamin D. These alterations are also associated with obesity, so if obesity is treated, they can improve or heal.

All these complications can occur to a lesser or greater extent according to the child, the severity of the snoring, and their general health; the important thing is that if we notice that the child at home snores through the Nose, we take him to the doctor so that he examine and we can help you improve your overall quality of life.

Nose Snoring Sleep Disorder Diagnosis in Children

If it is suspected that the child may have a sleep disorder, your doctor will recommend tests, some will be test-type to identify the severity of the disease, and others may be:

• I was recording a video while the child was sleeping.
• Nocturnal Saturometry: an oxygen meter is placed on the child, and the values ​​are recorded throughout the night, so it can be seen if he is not breathing well.
• Respiratory polygraphy: the number of breaths of the child is recorded, as well as the oxygen level throughout the night, the most common, is that this study is done in a hospital.
• Polysomnography: many values ​​are recorded during the entire night of the child’s sleep, such as electroencephalogram, electrooculogram, submental and tibial electromyogram, carbon dioxide level, electrocardiogram, and video monitoring. With all these records, a lot of data can be obtained that helps to give a very accurate diagnosis.

Treatment of snoring through the Nose in children

After identifying the cause of snoring in children, you can proceed to treat it:

• Drug treatment: this is in patients with mild snoring, but it affects their quality of life; anti-inflammatories can be used to reduce inflammation in the mucosa of the Nose, tonsils, and allergy symptoms; drugs are also used to treat allergies.
• Adenotonsillectomy or removal of the tonsils: when it is noted that the problem is the tonsils because they are very overgrown and can cure snoring in up to 75% of cases, except in children with obesity.
• Orthodontic devices: it is possible that when a doctor evaluates a child with snoring through the Nose, they notice that he has a very narrow jaw or jaw and sends him to a maxillofacial surgeon to adapt an orthodontic device to help solve this.
• Mandibular distraction is moving the jaw to fit better; it is used in children with genetic problems that include some degree of facial malformation such as retrognathia or micrognathia (small or retracted jaw).
• Nutritional management: this is essential in children with obesity; no device or surgery will be able to correct snoring through the Nose in children with obesity; in addition to all the problems that obesity entails, it is essential that parents commit to following the regimen and that they support the child in all aspects to achieve comprehensive recovery of their health.

There are many options to help relieve snoring in children; it is essential to diagnose and support them; some measures can be even more straightforward, such as putting the child to sleep on his side if he is already older than three years and can turn on his own, treat allergies, avoid the use of pacifiers since they promote throat infections and monitor children who snore to give them quick medical attention to help them improve their quality of life.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Nose snoring in children: causes and treatment , we recommend that you enter our Lung and respiratory tract category .

Alivia Nyhan

I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.