What to Do if Your Child Has Sleep Apnea Symptoms
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Sleep apnea occurs when there are pauses in breathing when someone is sleeping due to a blocked or collapsed airway. When this happens, you will wake up repeatedly so that breathing can resume. These sleep interruptions prevent children and adults from sleeping well and can cause different health problems when left untreated. At Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers in Los Angeles, CA, Dr. Avi Ishaaya is board-certified to treat pediatric sleep apnea in children. He offers sleep studies to patients who are suffering sleep apnea symptoms at his state-of-the-art sleep lab, as well as sleep apnea tests at home.
What is pediatric obstructive sleep apnea?
There are differences between pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and adult sleep apnea. Children are more likely to have behavioral problems from their low-quality sleep while adults experience daytime sleepiness. They may perform poorly in school and have difficulty paying attention. The most common cause of sleep apnea in children is an enlargement of adenoids or tonsils. Early diagnosis and treatment are important to prevent health complications that may affect their cognitive development and growth. Dr. Ishaaya has treated sleep apnea for more than 20 years at his private practice in Los Angeles, CA. He evaluates problematic sleeping and breathing problems during sleep apnea consultations.
Symptoms of sleep apnea in children
During sleep, signs and symptoms of pediatric sleep apnea include:
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Snoring
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Restless sleep
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Snorting, coughing, or choking
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Mouth breathing
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Nighttime sweating
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Bedwetting
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Nightmares or sleep terrors
Infants and young children with obstructive sleep apnea may not always snore but will have disturbed sleep.
Diagnosing pediatric obstructive sleep apnea
During a sleep apnea consultation, we can evaluate how your child takes in a breath. This directly impacts the air that they take into their entire body. When they have an obstruction, their sleep will be compromised. At Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers in Los Angeles, CA, we treat young patients with mild symptoms of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea. Recognizing sleep apnea signs is important to your child’s health.
During a sleep apnea consultation, Dr. Ishaaya assesses:
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Family history: While older patients are more likely to be diagnosed with sleep apnea or other sleeping disorders, younger patients can be too. Sleep apnea typically runs in a family.
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Sleep patterns: Dr. Ishaaya will ask questions about how often your child wakes up and how they wake up, and about any behavioral problems you’re experiencing with them.
Treating sleep apnea
Patients with risk factors for sleep apnea are screened and tested for sleep apnea by Dr. Ishaaya. Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers in Los Angeles, CA offers sleep testing for patients of all ages to diagnose sleeping disorders, such as pediatric obstructive sleep apnea. If it is determined that your child has sleep apnea, we can discuss possible treatment options, such as positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, which keeps airways open while they are asleep. For some children, the removal of adenoids or tonsils will help resolve their pediatric sleep apnea symptoms.
Schedule a sleep apnea consultation to help improve your child’s sleep
When you want your child to sleep better, it’s time to call Dr. Avi Ishaaya Centers in Los Angeles, CA to schedule a sleep apnea consultation with Dr. Avi Ishaaya. He can assess their health and decide if they have pediatric obstructive sleep apnea or another sleep disorder to improve their overall health.