Sleep apnea due to enlarged tonsils and adnoids?
Question by Josephine G: Sleep apnea due to enlarged tonsils and adnoids?
My daughter is 2 years old. She has obstructive sleep apnea due to her very large tonsils and adnoids. We are waiting for her surgery date and just recently got released from hospital from apnea attack.
Could this kill her? I am so worried and want them to do the surgery now with this happening could she stop breathing all together while sleeping?
Best answer:
Answer by michael k
The surgery should be performed ASAP.
Sleep apnea can be a very deadly condition. I have it and I have to use cpap machine in order to breath at night while sleeping.
If at all possible have the surgery performed immediately. It’s not worth the risk to wait. Doctors should know this already.
Josephine, if your child has sleep apnea, then she is in danger. She may stop breathing in sleep, but you need to sleep with her in case she needed to wake her up to start breathing again.
Since a child is unaware of his breathing problems in the night, a parent’s effort to help his child is crucial. Also, you need to pay attention to her symptoms of sleep apnea, such as:
* snoring
* noisy breathing and mouth breathing
* brief period of no breathing
* restless sleep, including turning and tossing
* sleeping in odd positions
* irritability, frustration, hyperactivity and aggresivity
* difficulty paying attention
* daytime sleepiness and lethargy at obese children
* poor performance at school, such as poor concentration, behavioral problems and lack of learning.
* bed-wetting
* morning headache
* cardiovascular problems, such as abnormalities or arrhythmia
A sleep apnea symptom, such as behavioral problems and poor concentration, can affect a child for the rest of his life. Therefore, you should act immediately in treating sleep apnea, if your child has this disorder.
I hope it helps!
Your daughter certainly needs to have her surgery ASAP. In the meantime, you cannot lay awake every night watching her sleep. Maybe your doctor could order an apnea monitor that would alert you if she was having breathing difficulty? Or let her wear Oxygen at night to compensate for any oxygen drops when she has apneas.