Indications of the problem may be present in vague symptoms that would not individually set off any alarms. These may include such things as excessive daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, irritability, impaired mental or emotional functioning, snoring, and heartburn.
Snoring is a problem that many people do not notice because they are sleeping, but bed partners typically complain of a very loud and interrupting snore. Heartburn is caused by acid buildup, and may be either a symptom or a cause of apnea.
Sleep apnea occurs in about 2 percent of children. Children may exhibit symptoms that are different than that of adults.
These symptoms may include longer total rest time than normal in some children, especially obese children or those with severe apnea. Not many children snore, and just because they do does not mean they have sleep apnea, but it could be a symptom.
Children may also need to put forth more effort to breath than normal. You can tell this if you notice flaring nostrils, heaving chests, and sweating.
At night the chest may have an inward motion during rest. Children may also display behavioral difficulties without any obvious cause, such as hyperactivity and inattention.
Some children may even be misdiagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Other symptoms include irritability, bed-wetting, morning headaches, or failure to grow and gain weight.
The disorder is caused by any structural abnormality in the face, skull, or airways that causes some obstruction or collapse in the upper airways and reduces air pressure. Some of the most likely structural causes of the disorder are abnormalities in tissues that lie between the back of the mouth and the esophagus.
Enlarged soft palates have been commonly associated with many cases of the problem as well. Psychological abnormalities may also play a role in developing the disorder.
These symptoms may include the inability to regulate levels of carbon dioxide, impaired brain and nervous system responsiveness to various chemical messengers, and poor reflexes or muscle tone in the upper airways. Obesity is also strongly associated with the disorder.
In fact, many studies show strong evidence that obesity can cause the disorder in individuals. This is because fatty cells infiltrate the throat tissue, which could narrow the airways.
The more obese a person is, the higher the pressure on the airway, which means there is a greater obstruction of the airway. This causes their symptoms to be more severe and noticeable.
There is also evidence that obstructive sleep apnea may also contribute to obesity itself, however. A tired person tends to be less active, which allows them to put on more weight.
Chronic snoring itself may actually be a cause of some cases of sleep apnea. Over time the vibrations and the increased pressure against the upper airways as snoring people inhale may cause the soft palate to lengthen.
This stretched palate is more prone to collapse and obstruction. You should also keep in mind that snoring is very common, and in itself is not a reason to believe you have the disorder.
Snoring occurs in about a third of the population, while this occurs in only about 6 percent of the population. Snoring, then, does not always cause apnea, nor is it always a sign of the respiratory disorder.
While snoring is also associated with daytime tiredness regardless of whether apneas are present, snoring alone does not appear to pose any major health risks. Mouth breathing is another symptom of the disorder.
Some evidence suggests that a tendency to breathe through the mouth rather than the nose during childhood can actually produce structural changes in the face. These visible changes may include a longer face, narrow jaw, or receding chin.
Such facial characteristics may eventually put people at risk for the disorder. Sleep apnea occurs in only about 2 percent of children and can occur even in enfant.
The most likely causes may include facial or skull abnormalities in infants, overgrown tonsils, adenoids, or both in small children. Removal of tonsils or adenoids can free the airways and solve the problem. .