The child snores at night and does not breathe. Why is childhood snoring dangerous and how to treat it?

Very often the reason child snoring The banal nasal congestion that occurs in the baby as a result disappears. These may be inflammatory processes occurring in frontal sinus, as well as a runny nose or sinusitis. However, if a child snores in his sleep, but there is no snot, then this phenomenon will indicate more serious health problems.

Physiology of snoring

Main physiological reason Snoring in both children and adults is a mechanical obstruction that occurs in the airways. This phenomenon contributes to the disruption of natural air circulation. The role of such an obstacle is often played by:

• Uvula, the natural size of which is increased.
• The palate itself, if its muscles lose their former elasticity.
• Enlarged tonsils.
• Adenoids.

Important! IN in rare cases, even an incorrect bite in a child can create interference normal circulation air in his nasopharynx. However, it is strictly not recommended to consider such a deviation as the norm.

A dangerous phenomenon in which the nose breathes, but the child snores, is considered to be the child’s tendency to have epileptic seizures, which can manifest itself both from birth and after suffering psychological trauma. This condition must be treated immediately, since epilepsy in advanced stage can cause apnea.

Diseases of the nasopharynx

Sometimes snoring may not be so dangerous if the nature of its occurrence is related to the consequences of a previously suffered pathology of the ENT organs. Indeed, as practice shows, after a sore throat, pharyngitis or tonsillitis, the child’s tonsils remain enlarged for some time, preventing normal air circulation in his nasopharynx.

Enlarged tonsils and tonsils can be identified not only by touch, but also by the accompanying symptoms characteristic of such a deviation. For example, if a child sleeps with his mouth slightly open, and his nose is stuffy (but there is no snot in it), then this is a clear sign enlarged adenoids, which make it difficult for the baby to breathe during sleep.

The relationship between snoring and adenoids

Inflammation of the adenoids in children is not a rare phenomenon. This inflammatory process occurs exclusively in the baby’s nasopharynx, causing swelling of the tissues in this area. And the resulting swelling, in turn, becomes the cause of enlarged tonsils, which impede normal air circulation.

Therefore, many parents see a way out in surgical removal adenoids from your baby's nasopharynx. But even such treatment is not always able to guarantee a 100% result, due to possible relapses:

• The appearance of an allergic reaction after the operation. Such a relapse can occur not only as a result of medical negligence, but also under the influence of hereditary factors.
• Untimely removal of adenoids. If such an operation is performed too early, the baby may develop serious complications with breathing, which will cause further snoring.
• Careless removal of tonsil tissue.

However, you should not ignore the enlargement of adenoids, since it is very serious problem for babies, which can cause hypoxia in them.

The danger of rochnopathy in children and adolescents

Depending on the volume and intensity of snoring, you can determine the harm it causes to the baby’s body. For example, if a child snores very loudly, and the frequency of manifestations of this deviation is frequent, then parents have reason to worry. Since all of the above signs are the initial mechanism for the development of apnea. If snoring occurs rarely, initial stages sleep, then this phenomenon can be considered safe for the child’s health.

Symptoms accompanying snoring

Snoring in a child never occurs without accompanying symptoms, since this phenomenon is considered a consequence of some disease or abnormality. Among common symptoms snoring can be distinguished:

• Difficulty breathing through the nose. The nasal passage may be clogged with mucus resulting from inflammation of the tonsils. When breathing through the mouth, the baby may develop a cough due to an acute lack of air.
• Frequent awakenings in the middle of the night. Older children may also talk about nightmares that bother them.
• The appearance of nasality in the child’s voice. This happens because the baby’s nasal cavity is clogged and cannot pronounce many sounds normally, which affects the intelligibility of speech.
• Hearing impairment. With a strong enlargement of the tonsils, the child’s auditory tubes will partially overlap, which will worsen the perception of sounds.
• Open mouth in a dream. With a clogged nasal passage, children will experience an acute lack of oxygen, which they will compensate by breathing through the mouth.

Important! Prolonged ignoring of the above symptoms of snoring can cause serious deformation of the child’s skull. And this deviation can manifest itself: in a broken bite, a narrowed nasal passage, or even in the visual features of the face.

IN severe cases The baby may also experience symptoms of oxygen starvation ( chronic fatigue, deterioration of memory and perception of information, prolonged apathy, periodic headaches and dizziness). But with such concomitant symptoms of snoring, it is better for parents to seek medical care to specialists.

How to cure snoring in a child?

Treatment for snoring can be divided into only two types: medical therapy and folk remedies. The first type of treatment is used in cases where the following symptoms of snoring in a child include: sleep apnea, prolonged insomnia, mental disorders, or other signs of serious disorders associated with the ongoing pathology.

If the child snores, but there is no snot, and you are sure that he is completely healthy, then the second type of treatment comes into force - traditional medicine. As a rule, it consists in the selection the right pillow for the baby, as well as choosing a suitable sleeping position (on the side or on the stomach).

How is epilepsy related to severe snoring?

Very often, epilepsy causes a feeling of fear and panic in patients, which, in turn, increases adrenaline in the blood. Due to this change, the person’s breathing intensity also increases significantly, and when inhaling through the nose, he may sniffle loudly or even snore. If you do not consult a doctor in time, the epileptic seizures will intensify and may well lead to death.

Therapeutic methods for dental pathology

If after a medical examination it turns out that the cause of snoring in a child is dental pathology, then the situation can be corrected by therapeutic dentistry. This medical branch includes a lot of modern methods of diagnostics and dental treatment using fluoride or calcium. Moreover, all operations performed are practically painless and safe.

Other types of snoring treatments

In addition to the above therapy, special nasal drops help to cope very well with snoring in children. Sprays are able to completely clear the nasal passage, allowing the baby to calmly inhale oxygen, full breasts. This will not only relieve your child from snoring, but will also reduce the chance of sleep apnea or hypoxia.

Important! Nasal drops should be used no more than twice a day: in the morning and in the evening (before bed). Otherwise, the medicine may burn the baby’s mucous membrane, causing him significant discomfort.

Also, another painless method of combating snoring, which can be used for children over 1 year old, is gymnastics oral cavity. Exercises aimed at toning the muscles of the palate and nasopharynx will allow your child to get rid of snoring in 1-2 weeks, and due to the significant expansion of the nasal passages, it will become a little easier for him to breathe at night while sleeping.

Psychosomatics of the disease

Many people believe that snoring is male, rather than female. But such a judgment is fundamentally wrong. After all, the pathology of snoring can occur equally in both sexes, with the difference only in the age category (snoring occurs earlier in males).

At the same time, rhochnopathy also has individual psychomatics, which is explained by the lack of possibility of treatment with the help of medical drugs. After all, snoring is most often treated with traditional therapy, and in rare cases, by surgical intervention. Most people are generally inclined to believe that snoring does not interfere with their lives, simply ignoring its manifestation.

Genetic predisposition

In some cases, rhonopathy occurs in children as a result of a genetic predisposition, which includes the following factors in the development of pathology:

• Congenital narrow neck.
• Malocclusion.
• Abnormally enlarged adenoids.
• Predisposition to diseases that cause rhonopathy (allergies, asthma, sore throat, etc.).

Unlike pathologies that cause snoring in children, genetic predisposition cannot be controlled. And most often it has to be treated surgically.

Doctors' opinion about children's snoring after ARVI

As the famous pediatrician E.O. said. Komarovsky (author of a video blog about medicine):

“Children’s snoring can occur as a result of just two main reasons - enlarged adenoids and the presence of mucous secretions in the child’s nose, which can clog his airways. In order to determine whether it poses a threat to the baby’s health, you should understand its course in advance.”

However, as for snoring that occurs after suffering from an acute respiratory viral infection, as a rule, it does not pose any danger to the child. Moreover, this condition goes away on its own. It should also be noted that snoring after ARVI does not occur in all children, and its occurrence can be prevented through banal prevention.

Prevention of childhood rhonopathy

Preventive measures for children’s snoring differ significantly from those for adults, and include the following measures:

• Clearing mucus from the nasal passages using wet wipes.
• Carrying out special gymnastics to tone the muscles of the throat and palate.
• Changing your sleeping position. If you snore, it is recommended to sleep exclusively on your stomach or side.
• Adjusting your diet.

Having considered the reasons why a child snores at night, but there is no snot, we can draw conclusions about whether to take the child to the doctor or try to solve the problem by traditional medicine. After all, snoring childhood does not always indicate serious deviations, which means raising panic ahead of time makes no sense.

Medical statistics claim that today more than 9% of children snore, and this figure is growing. This group also includes children aged 7 years. Of course, this is a problem for both babies and their parents, who should monitor their child’s sleep.

However, under no circumstances should you prescribe treatment yourself. In order to correct the situation, first consult your pediatrician. He will give an objective assessment of your child’s condition and refer you to an ENT specialist, somnologist or other specialists.

Of course, it is not typical for a child to snore at this age. It is not normal. Why?

• Night “concerts” can appear when the lumen of the airways in the nasal area decreases. That is, the ducts are clogged and air does not pass through.
• The problem appears due to the condition soft palate, which weakens and vibrates, which forms sounds when inhalation is made through the mouth.
• The primary source may be a sore throat and a sore nose. This happens often at this age. This manifests itself in adenoids (in more than 85 cases out of 100), with polyps and rhinitis, when the accumulation of mucus causes a problem.
• It happens that a child is born with airway abnormalities. It's about about the curvature of the septum and the narrow lumen of the nasal passages, about the irregular structure of the palate. All this leads to hypoxia. And at the age of 7 years, when the body is growing, it significantly interferes with the tissues receiving oxygen nutrition. Brain hypoxia is especially dangerous, since for a seven-year-old child this can lead to developmental delays.
• Child snoring occurs from excessive fat deposits in the upper body, including the nasopharynx.

All of these sources lead to a serious disorder - apnea. If this brings minor troubles to children under 6 years of age, then a 7-year-old schoolchild is diagnosed with bad behavior. Such children have low academic performance, they are inattentive, and hence the ridicule of friends, punishment from teachers, and reproaches from parents.

The problem can be fixed!

In order to eliminate a sleep disorder, you need to conduct a full diagnosis, identify the cause and get rid of it. Contact a specialist! He will make a diagnosis and develop a therapeutic program.

• For adenoids, the treatment regimen is developed individually. Conservative technology can be used surgery is rarely carried out, since when children reach 7 years of age, lymphoid tissues return to normal on their own. But remember that biological treatment is mandatory, otherwise chronic tonsillitis is inevitable, which occurs with frequent sore throats. To increase the effect, parents should eliminate the causes of snoring at home: humidify the air in the children's room, and do wet cleaning before bedtime.
• You can't let a runny nose run. You need to get rid of it immediately when it appears. If the case is severe, you should consult a pediatrician or ENT specialist; you may also need an allergist. It is useful to rinse the child's nose with a solution of salt, especially sea salt.
• Anatomical obstacles, as a rule, are eliminated surgically. True, most often operations on osteochondral areas are performed in more late age. And the parents of a 7-year-old child need to teach him not to sleep on his back, provide fresh air access to the bedroom, strengthen the nursery immune system, avoid rhinitis.
• Obesity being treated proper nutrition and proper diets, physical exercise, as well as restoration of normal metabolic processes.

For apnea, polysomnography is indicated for children of primary school age. Based on the results of the examination, medications. A required element is physiotherapy airways. To make it interesting for the child, the complex may include singing, whistling, and exercises for the larynx.

Snoring is a problem that usually occurs in adulthood. Parents' bewilderment and fear are understandable if their baby starts snoring. Let's try to figure out what snoring during sleep is, how it differs from sniffling, what factors influence it, how to eliminate them, and when it is necessary to immediately contact a specialist.

Normally, the passage of air flow through the respiratory tract occurs almost silently both during sleep and during wakefulness. If the walls of the pharynx begin to vibrate, touch, or rattle under the influence of an air stream, characteristic sounds called snoring occur.

Manifestations of snoring in a child

Snoring is not just a sound that accompanies sleep. The process of snoring always indicates a violation respiratory function, dangerous with complications, threatening health.

Attention! Appear specific noises in adults and children with narrowing of the upper parts of the respiratory system. They are a little stronger and more rolling when exhaling. The occurrence of snoring at night is accompanied by relaxation of the muscles of the pharynx and sagging of the soft palate.

It is important to determine what caused the pathology and eliminate it in a timely manner.

Sniffles or snores: how to tell

Sometimes parents mistake snoring for snoring - so-called congestion, which is not accompanied by a low-frequency rattling range. The main difference from snoring is this: the child will sleep peacefully. The condition often occurs in infants.

It is due to the following factors:

• narrowness of the nasal passages of infants;
• dryness and elevated temperature air in the bedroom;
• poorly chosen pillow;

A baby may sniffle even in the initial stages of ARVI due to swelling of the nasal mucosa. If when creating comfortable conditions, the symptom does not disappear, you need to consult a specialist.

Revealing the reasons

Children's ages are heterogeneous. The causes of snoring in a one-year-old child are different from those in a teenager. If a child snores at night, no matter how old he is, this should alert adults. Dr. Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky draws the attention of parents: the baby begins to make characteristic sounds in his sleep when a mechanical obstacle to the air flow occurs during breathing. Let's try to figure out what diseases contribute to this and how to treat them.

Enlarged adenoids

Nasal hypertrophy pharyngeal tonsil, called adenoids, are the most common. The peak incidence occurs in kindergarten and junior school age. The problem occurs with equal frequency in girls and boys.

The disease does not occur in newborns due to immaturity lymphoid tissue. From the age of twelve, adenoid vegetations begin to atrophy. Therefore, teenagers experience the consequences of pathology that is not treated in a timely manner.

Main symptoms:

• constant runny nose;
• open mouth at night while sleeping;
• nasal voice;
• hearing loss;
• adenoid face.

The issue of removal is decided individually for each baby, depending on the degree of tonsil growth, the presence of complications, immune status. Surgical treatment does not exclude, but complements conservative therapy.

Overweight

The baby may snore due to excessive body weight. The pathogenesis of obesity includes the following mechanisms:

• Excess subcutaneous fat layer causes a decrease in the mobility of the chest - it is difficult for the child to breathe.
• Disruption of metabolic processes contributes to a decrease in the tone of the soft palate and larynx.
• The lumen of the upper respiratory tract narrows.

Paratrophy in most cases is associated with physical inactivity and poor nutrition, but sometimes it is a symptom endocrine pathology. Start getting rid of extra pounds should be under the supervision of an experienced physician.

Allergy

Allergic reaction causes inflammation of the serous membranes, severe swelling tissues, mucus secretion. This entails a decrease in the lumen of the airways, obstructs the passage of air flow, and explains why the child snores in his sleep. The disease occurs in acute or chronic form, and becomes seasonal when the allergen is pollen from flowering plants. The condition is accompanied by sneezing, lacrimation, and deterioration in general well-being.

It is important to know! Specify the reason hay fever Special tests and samples will help. Under no circumstances should you treat a child yourself due to the risk of developing bronchial asthma or other autoimmune processes.

Bad air in the bedroom

Smoking by parents, house dust, closed rooms, poor ventilation in the bedroom contribute to the formation of crusts in the respiratory tract, and this is another reason to ensure a “wheezing” night. The situation must be corrected immediately. After all, the health of a child depends on the cleanliness of the air.

Congenital anomalies

Intrauterine developmental defects are caused by genetic mutations and teratogenic factors. Congenital anomalies are usually easily noticeable, but such as a hypertrophied uvula, sagging soft palate, impaired choanal patency, deviated nasal septum, and malocclusion pathologies are diagnosed by a specialist. They may be accompanied by difficulty swallowing. Anomalies are corrected by an otolaryngologist or orthopedic dentist.

Colds and other diseases

A small family member may snore during sleep due to illnesses, the symptoms of which include cough, sore throat, snot, and difficulty breathing through the nose. This is a group of so-called colds, viral-bacterial etiology. In this case, parents will not be faced with the question of whether to relieve their child from snoring. With recovery, the problem will disappear on its own.

A child snores while sleeping in the following cases:

• polyps;
• foreign body in the nasal passages;
• tracheal intubation was performed;
• history of hyperactivity syndrome.

Elena Vasilievna Malysheva in the program “Live Healthy” names another reason - undiagnosed epilepsy, when convulsive contractions capture the muscles of the larynx, pharynx, and face. In this case, there is a danger of respiratory arrest due to the retraction of the tongue if the baby lies on his back.

Snoring in infancy: features

Parents of infants often confuse snoring with snoring, which has been discussed in detail. Reaction to preventive vaccinations not in the form of snoring occurs, can only be observed as a manifestation of an allergy.

Sometimes snoring is mistakenly called the noisy breathing of a baby suffering from laryngitis or stridor (the pathological process is localized in the larynx and trachea). The cause of snoring in a child of the first year of life may be increased salivation during teething or a cold.

Health hazard and life threatening

It is important to differentiate alarming sounds in a dream, establish the cause, and eliminate it. What danger does child snoring pose?

• sometimes serves as a “signal whistle” for a serious illness;
• significantly worsens the quality and changes the structure of sleep;
• due to lack of sleep, it negatively affects the psycho-emotional state;
• determines oxygen starvation fabrics;
• may be complicated by cardiovascular and endocrine pathology.

It is important to know! The most dangerous consequence of snoring is diarrhea, which is manifested by pauses in breathing lasting up to several seconds. The reason for it is hypoxia of the respiratory center in the brain.

Treatment methods for children's snoring

Snoring is not a nosology, but its manifestation. Therefore, it is necessary to determine exactly what the child is sick with. And here you can’t do without the advice of an experienced pediatrician. Perhaps the doctor will prescribe additional examinations and will refer you to a somnologist, otolaryngologist, dental clinic, and electroencephalography.

It is important to understand that snoring has different nature occurrence, and, trying to cope with the problem on your own, there is a possibility of harming the baby. A specialist will prescribe treatment, but it makes sense for parents to try to alleviate the condition. Should be created favorable conditions in the bedroom:

Sometimes a child stops snoring after changing position; you just need to lightly turn the sleeping person on his side.

A separate issue is the fight against the runny nose. To treat or not? Nasal congestion in an adult is a nuisance one month old- a disaster. Clean baby nostrils are the key good sleep and successful feeding (due to the need to breathe through the mouth while sucking).

The main thing is not to do any harm, using all kinds of methods in the fight against snot.

And you need to remember the following:

• Most vasoconstrictor drops are contraindicated for children in the first months of life and are addictive if used for more than five days.
• The popular drug "Sialor" is not recommended to be combined with instillation of products containing Adrenaline.
• One of the manifestations of an overdose of “Oxolnin ointment” when placed in the nasal passages is rhinorrhea.
• Nasal spray is contraindicated for infants.

Much controversy arises in the scientific world about the advisability of using homeopathic remedies and traditional medicine methods. It is important to evaluate the pros and cons and be sure to consult with your pediatrician. Not everyone thinks that, for example, herbal teas and honey can cause an allergic reaction, and the popular drug “Lymphomyosot” is prescribed to a limited extent for diseases of the thyroid gland.

Preventing pathology in a child

There is no prevention for snoring. It is important to prevent diseases that cause snoring. The following rules should be followed:

• Avoid hypothermia of the baby.
• Promptly carry out preventive vaccinations against infections, including influenza.
• Stick to principles healthy eating, carefully selecting products.
• Strengthen immunity.
• Provide psychological comfort.
• Organize sufficient time in the fresh air and adequate physical activity.

If your child starts coughing, do not neglect the advice of your pediatrician. Try to approach the issue of treating adenoiditis, chronic tonsillitis, hay fever, and obesity with due responsibility.

Conclusion

You need to fight snoring, but you should remember that it has multiple etiologies. What is useful for one patient can give negative effect, If pathological condition caused by another factor. Treatment is always individualized. The main thing is not to ignore the problem and consult a doctor in time.

Other symptoms and syndromes

Snoring during sleep in a child is not a physiological condition. The cause of snoring is always some kind of disease. Most often, a child begins to snore when his nose is blocked and there is no access to air. But if the baby does not have a cold and there is no snot, then snoring most likely occurs due to the adenoids.

To determine the cause of snoring, your child needs to undergo full examination. This condition often leads to the development of serious complications.

1 Causes of night snoring

A child snores in his sleep when he does not have enough air when breathing through his nose. Instinctively, he begins to breathe through his mouth to compensate for the lack of oxygen. This leads to snoring, especially when the baby lies on his back.

The reasons for lack of air are as follows:

• ARVI, during which mucus accumulates in the nasal passages;
• tonsillitis, when the tonsils enlarge and block the airways;
• adenoids, when there is a persistent enlargement of the nasopharyngeal tonsil.

Snoring during ARVI, when there is thick snot, is an understandable phenomenon, which is quite easy to eliminate. But sometimes the baby does not stop snoring even after illness. In this case, parents should contact their pediatrician and have their child checked for adenoids.

What to do if a child has a very stuffy nose, but no snot

2 What are adenoids?

Adenoids are the most common cause child snoring without runny nose. The essence of the pathology is the enlargement of the nasopharyngeal tonsil, which blocks the nasal passages and impedes the flow of air.

The disease begins to develop at 2-3 years of age; adenoids are extremely rare in younger children. Frequent colds, tonsillitis, and carious teeth contribute to enlargement of the nasopharyngeal tonsil.

There are three degrees of adenoids depending on their enlargement:

• 1st degree - the nasal passages are blocked by an enlarged tonsil by less than a third;
• 2nd degree - the tonsil blocks the nasal passages by two thirds;
• Stage 3 - breathing through the nose is almost impossible.

In the first degree, the child breathes almost freely, snoring at night appears only when lying on his back. If you turn it on its side, the nasal passages are freed.

In the second degree nasal breathing much more difficult. The child snores constantly at night and in any position of the body. During the day he also breathes through his mouth.

In the third degree, breathing is constantly through the mouth, the nasal passages are completely blocked. At night, attacks of apnea are possible - short-term cessation of breathing. The third degree of adenoids contributes to a change in the shape of the face - the child’s lower jaw drops, the mouth is half open, upper teeth come forward.

It is imperative to diagnose and treat adenoids. They lead to the development of many complications:

• persistent colds;
• otitis and sinusitis;
• decreased mental abilities;
• throat diseases - sore throat, tonsillitis.

The famous children's doctor Komarovsky believes that adenoids need to be treated before the age of four by medication. If there is no effect by 4 years, it is recommended to undergo surgery - adenotomy.

3 Other reasons

In addition to adenoids, snoring in a child’s sleep without snot can also be caused by other reasons. The most common one, which parents often have no idea about, is an unsuitable indoor microclimate.

The optimal air temperature for a child is 20-22*C, with a humidity of at least 80%. If the baby's room is too hot and dry, the mucous membranes of the nose and throat dry out quickly. This leads to snoring at night.

Another reason is an allergic reaction. A child, even at 1 year old, can develop allergies - to wool, dust, plants. This leads to swelling of the mucous membranes, difficulty breathing and snoring.

If a baby begins to snore from birth, the reason lies in the improper development of the nasopharynx. Most often, these are too narrow nasal passages or a crooked nasal septum. This condition is aggravated by the child’s pillow being too high. It is recommended that a baby under one year old sleep without a pillow.

In addition to congenital pathology, polyps often develop in the nose. These are growths of the nasal mucosa that interfere with air flow.

The reason why a child has difficulty breathing is often sinusitis. When the air sinuses become inflamed, mucus accumulates in them. It does not get into the nasal passages, so it seems that the baby does not have a runny nose. When he lies down, mucus begins to flow down the nasopharynx and causes snoring.

Almost every cause is subject to mandatory treatment. Difficulty breathing leads to hypoxia internal organs, first of all, the brain. This has a huge impact on health and mental development baby.

If a child experiences nighttime snoring, he or she should be examined by a pediatrician. Depending on the established cause Appropriate treatment will be prescribed. If the problem arose not due to illness, but due to improper care for the child, the doctor will give recommendations to the parents.

Correctly following the doctor’s instructions will allow the baby to restore full breathing and avoid unpleasant consequences in future.

Snoring during sleep can occur not only in adults, but also in children. Parents should be wary when their baby snores at night. The child must be observed for several days, but if his snoring is constant, it is recommended to contact a specialist who should determine the cause and tell him how to deal with this problem.

What could be the causes of snoring in children?

Sometimes snoring in a child can occur situationally, for example, with a runny nose, when the nose practically does not breathe and the baby constantly sniffles, or when the air humidity is poor where he is. In such situations, there is no need to worry about this; after a few days, nasal breathing during sleep will be restored.

But in other situations, parents should pay attention to snoring during sleep, because such a phenomenon may indicate a deviation.

Most children snore when they are 3–4 years old. If your baby’s snoring brings a lot of inconvenience, such as disturbed sleep, regularly waking up at night, irritated and picky all the time, then you should definitely go to the clinic to see a specialist.

There is a possibility that the problem is caused by a runny nose, when the nose is clogged and the baby sniffles, or it may be due to some kind of injury, which in the future can negatively affect the child’s health.

In order to eliminate snoring and a blocked nose, as well as to rule out other diseases, you need to clearly know the true reasons why your child snores.

The first thing you need to do is dress your baby correctly. Since thermoregulation in young children is not yet fully determined to cold or heat, therefore, doctors recommend gradually hardening the child.

It is good to teach your baby to take from childhood cold and hot shower or walk barefoot (walking can be done on garden plot, near the pond, in the meadows).

If a child’s nose is clogged due to a runny nose, then the swelling of the mucous membrane must first be removed. Swelling occurs due to dry air or viral infection. To moisturize the mucous membrane, the baby needs to use saline solution or sea water.

When a child wheezes in his sleep, but does not have a runny nose, this may be a congenital pathology:

• narrow nasal passages;
• deviated nasal septum.

If the baby sniffles and snores at night, but there is no nasal congestion, then perhaps it is due to a sore throat.

The palate swells and at the same time there is pain, the nose is clogged and it is very unpleasant to swallow. If a baby snores, this is due to polyps that form inside the nose, then drops alone cannot be used, since doctors recommend removing the growths. And then be under the supervision of a doctor for some more time to prevent recurrence.

Treatment methods for severe snoring

Snoring often occurs in older people; they sleep soundly, for them it is normal phenomenon. Moreover, this phenomenon occurs in deep sleep when a person hears nothing.

Most people who snore don't even realize they snore. In children, this manifestation indicates some deviations that need to be dealt with.

If the baby's bed is very soft, this can affect snoring, and in the future it can be permanent. This moment should not be missed, as the baby will experience discomfort during sleep. That is why there are basic tips that can be used to minimize this problem.

First, you need to teach your baby to sleep on his side. Of course, he will not be able to stay on one side the whole night, since it is almost impossible to control body movements in sleep. When the mother puts the baby to bed, she can place a soft but durable pillow under his back, which will fix the position of the baby’s body.

In this case, it is necessary to take into account the quality of the roller. Because the pillow should be placed under the baby, not a feather one and in no case a high one. It is better to purchase the necessary pillow at any children's store.

The height of the special cushion should be about 6 cm. When the baby lies on it, he will not experience a feeling of discomfort from snoring, of course, if he is not sick or has no congenital pathologies nose The air humidity in the room should be moderate.

It is quite difficult to cure this phenomenon, so it is better to avert its manifestation. If a child sniffles, then experts prescribe vasoconstrictor drops for a runny nose. If the nose does not breathe, you can use nasal sprays, but before the first use you must read the instructions to avoid side effects. Since drugs that have a vasoconstrictor effect can be used for several days.

When using topical drops, care must be taken to active substance the drug does not penetrate into the blood, because this can lead to negative consequences:

• there may be irritation of the nasopharynx;
• intolerance to any component included in the drug;
• allergic reaction.

If such effects occur when using drugs, then you need to stop treatment and consult a doctor. But if everything is fine and side effects do not arise, then these means can be used.

But if the above tips do not help to resist snoring, then you cannot do without the help of a specialist. When a child sniffles, you can still use antimicrobial agents, this will also help relieve nasal swelling. But at the same time follow the instructions for use.

Side effects from snoring

If the baby snores and sniffles in his sleep, but does not have a runny nose, experts identify several features of the appearance of adenoids:

• labored breathing;
• inflamed nose and ears;
• breathing stops;
• the shape of the face changes.

When a baby wheezes and does not have snot, it is necessary to monitor him not only at night, but also during the day.

If the baby breathes poorly in his sleep and his nose is stuffy, then you may notice that he behaves irritably and often cries. Children who snore constantly feel drowsy, lethargic, and inactive. If such a situation occurs for a long time, this may adversely affect the health and development of the baby in the future.

If a baby snores and sniffles at night, then due to decreased activity, the functioning of the glands that help process food slows down, thereby leading to the accumulation of excess weight in the body.

Snoring is often accompanied by a cold, such as a runny nose, when the nose does not breathe; after therapy, this manifestation should disappear. If a baby wheezes during sleep for no reason, then this will negatively affect the human organs in the future. Parents should not ignore this phenomenon; they should immediately seek help from a doctor.

Child snoring warning

To avoid this phenomenon, you must adhere to certain preventive measures. The most basic rule is to regularly strengthen your immune system. To increase the level of immunity, you need to constantly give your baby minerals and vitamins. As mentioned earlier, hardening is very useful procedure. It is necessary to regularly go out with the baby Fresh air, walk.

You need to teach your child to wash his hands before eating. It is necessary to dress it correctly so that it does not overheat or freeze. During cold weather, shoes should be warm and not wet. In addition, before putting the baby to bed, you can wipe the legs with cold and warm water, and then rinse only in cold water, this is very useful, but still control the water temperature. So that the body’s defenses can properly resist various infections and bacteria, it is recommended to eat right and exercise.

An adult snoring is, although an unpleasant phenomenon, but, by and large, quite common. Few of us are surprised if a fellow traveler on the train or a friend who came to visit for the night, after a certain amount of alcohol, snores profusely and persistently until the morning. But children's snoring is something completely incomprehensible. Therefore, parents who notice such a feature in their child often turn to a well-known pediatrician and the author of books on children's health, Evgeniy Komarovsky, who, in turn, tells what night snoring in a child can mean and whether it can be treated.

About the problem

Snoring occurs when there is a mechanical obstruction to the free circulation of air in the respiratory tract. During sleep, all the muscles of a person relax, not only the arms and legs, but also the small muscles - the palatine muscles. This partition, whose task is to prevent food from entering the respiratory organs, begins to vibrate in a relaxed state, and this sound is called snoring.

Komarovsky about the causes of snoring

Evgeny Komarovsky notes that most often children snore for two reasons:

Adenoids

Accumulation of dried mucus in the respiratory tract.

There are other reasons, but they are much less common. Thus, snoring can be a consequence of a malocclusion; quite often children suffering from epilepsy, obesity (not overweight, but obesity), and children with certain pathologies of the respiratory organs snore in their sleep.

Snoring in infants

Quite often, parents of infants complain that their child snores in their sleep. Komarovsky urges not to confuse snoring and snoring. Babies snore not because of illness, but because they have a certain physiological distinguishing feature- the nasal passages are very narrow from birth. Such snoring is not a pathology and does not require treatment.

However, it is necessary to help the child. Komarovsky advises creating sufficiently humidified air; if necessary, irrigating the nasopharynx with saline solutions.

Microclimate

If an older child snores, and he did not do this before, but at 2 or 3 years old he began to snore, you should start looking for the cause of the phenomenon by assessing the conditions in which the child sleeps. If a child breathes dusty, dry air, put him to sleep in a room where there are many “dust collectors” - carpets, soft toys, books, if wet cleaning and airing are done not every day, but once a week, there is nothing surprising, according to Komarovsky, in snoring. In the respiratory tract, due to this microclimate, mucus dries out, which is produced by the body to protect against viruses and other pests. Dried mucus becomes a mechanical barrier for normal breathing at night in a dream.

When asked what to do, Komarovsky answers in some detail: ventilate, wash the floors more often and remove dust, remove all carpets, buy an air humidifier so that the child’s bedroom always has air humidity of 50-70%, and the air temperature is no more 18-20 degrees. It makes sense to instill a saline solution into the nose, thus moisturizing the mucous membranes. For the same purpose, you need to give your child more to drink.

ENT diseases

Snoring can be a consequence of a sore throat; after this serious illness, swelling of the larynx persists for some time. This condition does not need correction, snoring will go away. This sound night effect is possible after any respiratory disease, in which the respiratory system suffered.

If a child snores at night and breathes through his mouth, difficulty in nasal breathing is also observed during the daytime, adenoids are likely - the proliferation of lymphoid tissue of the pharyngeal tonsil. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor, depending on the stage and severity of the disease. In some cases, surgery is indicated.

If you have systematic snoring, you should definitely start your examination with a visit to an ENT doctor. In addition to adenoids, the doctor may detect other causes of snoring - a deviated nasal septum, polyps in the nasal passages, foreign small objects that the child could accidentally push into the nose or inhale, laryngitis or incipient bronchial asthma.

Obesity

When a child is obese, fat spreads not only to the subcutaneous space, but also to the tissues of the pharynx, which causes narrowing of the lumen and vibration during relaxation of the soft palate. This kind of snoring can be treated by reducing the amount of food consumed, diet, exercise and active games. A nutritionist can help you lose excess weight.

Malocclusion

There are several types of malocclusion that can cause nighttime snoring. A pediatric orthopedic dentist will help answer the question of why children snore in the absence of a runny nose. Usually, if the lower jaw is poorly developed and displaced back, during sleep, when the muscles relax, the root of the tongue comes into contact with the uvula. The passage of air becomes difficult. The orthopedist will decide what to do after examining the child’s jaw; usually such pathologies are identified in early age, can be successfully corrected without surgery.

Consequences of snoring

If children's snoring is ignored and not looked for the real reason violations, the consequences may be unpleasant.

Dry mucus in the oropharynx can cause chronic respiratory diseases in children, and neglected adenoids are very difficult to treat.

Snoring can cause short-term problems pulmonary respiration, breathing stops. This condition in medicine is called “ Sleep apnea", it can be deadly. According to statistics, such a complication develops in only 2-3% of children suffering from night snoring, but this possibility cannot be ignored.

Without exception, all children who snore sleep worse, and sleep quality disturbances lead to nervous exhaustion, metabolic disorders lead to decreased concentration and learning ability.

Dr. Komarovsky will talk about the causes of children's snoring in the video below.

Snorting during sleep in children is not always associated with nasal congestion. Constant snoring in the absence of a runny nose may indicate pathological processes in the body requiring immediate treatment. When a child snores at night, parents should pay attention to his sleep position: in most cases, the child makes guttural sounds if his head is thrown back. A child under one year of age should not sleep on a pillow at all, or be offered a pillow with an anatomical depression in the middle. Snoring often occurs if the nose is stuffy, and the child may not have snot during the day.

Causes of snoring in children

To understand why a baby snores in his sleep, you should become better acquainted with children's anatomy. The nasal septums in children are shorter, and any mechanical obstruction, be it an enlarged uvula or minor deformities cartilage tissue, lead to wheezing sounds. When the nose is not stuffy, there should be no wheezing or whistling sounds during sleep. If the child still snores, the reasons may be as follows:

• chronic diseases of the ENT organs – residual effects past colds can provoke snoring when the child is sleeping. And neither liquid nor thick snot there is no swelling in the passages, and slight swelling of the mucous membrane leads to difficulty in nasal breathing;
• Obesity – Excessive weight often leads to poor breathing during sleep. The nose is not stuffy, but excess weight contributes to a narrowing of the airways. In this case, there is no need to treat the child; it is enough to normalize his daily routine and reduce the caloric content of food;
• bite defect - when displaced lower jaw During sleep, a child with malocclusion may have difficulty breathing through the nose, although the nose is working. During the daytime, a child can calmly breathe through his nose, but at night, if appropriate measures are not taken, respiratory arrest is possible;
• epilepsy - there are some forms of the disease when obvious signs not during the daytime, but during sleep there is convulsive activity of the facial muscles. Similar manifestations can occur in a child aged 2-4 years. Short seizures may affect children under 14 years of age. There is no need to treat such epilepsy; it usually goes away with age;
• increased dryness of the air - if the child’s nasal sinuses are excessively dry, when breathing, crusts form that clog the nose. A baby under one year old should clean the sinuses with cotton wool moistened with water. An adult child can rinse his nose independently. When the air humidity in the baby’s room increases, the problem with snoring disappears;
• allergies - with allergic rhinitis The mucous membranes and nose are swollen, which causes snoring and interferes with normal breathing.

Snoring is caused by excessive excitability of the child the day before. Thus, children who are too active in their sleep behave just as violently and cannot take a comfortable position. At the same time, their nose works well, and there are no other symptoms indicating malaise. Parents should calm a hyperactive child before bedtime if they do not want the baby to jump up from his own snoring or sudden stop breathing.

It has also been noted that children who constantly snore during their sleep suffer from cerebral hypoxia, which has a bad effect on mental development.

Treatment methods

If the child is breathing heavily through the nose, then it is necessary to rinse the nasal sinuses with a saline solution. If there are no signs of congestion, and parents do not understand why the baby snores at night, then they should contact an otolaryngologist, who will determine the cause of the disorder and advise how to treat the child.

If the cause lies in enlarged adenoids or tonsils, then the doctor prescribes conservative therapy, after which nasal breathing normalizes and sleep problems disappear. If there is a malocclusion, the child is sent to an orthodontist, who will tell you how to correct the pathology. Children aged 2-3 years are not prescribed special plates, but older children (especially those who have permanent teeth) it is proposed to wear braces, which will not only help ease nasal breathing, but also make your smile beautiful and even.

Many parents are perplexed: why their baby snores, because he has no health problems, and his nose breathes perfectly. It turns out you need to stick to simple rules to make your child's sleep comfortable and sound. The same rules help prevent snoring and improve nasal breathing:

• The child’s bed should be quite hard and the pillow should not be too high. Otherwise, the child's sleep will be restless and breathing problems may occur at night;
• From childhood, a child should be taught to sleep on his side. This will help prevent your head from sinking and make your sleep comfortable and restful;
• Regularly humidify the indoor air. The procedure will be useful not only for snoring. Sufficient humidity in the room and not too much heat will help protect the baby’s health and have a positive effect on his immunity.

The doctor may prescribe vasoconstrictor drops that will help remove swelling and normalize breathing. However, such funds cannot be used without the prescription of an otolaryngologist. They are instilled into the nose for the period recommended by the doctor.

Helps in treating snoring traditional methods, however, you should not resort to them to eliminate snoring in young children, since there is a high probability of developing allergic reactions that will aggravate the situation.

Juice helps in the fight against snoring white cabbage with the addition of honey. Take half a teaspoon of honey per quarter glass and offer the child to drink it before bed. It is also useful to gargle with oak bark decoction. For 500 ml of boiling water take a tablespoon of raw material. Keep on fire for about 20 minutes, infuse and filter. Oak bark has anti-inflammatory properties, eliminates swelling and helps cope with the consequences of a previous cold. It is useful to instill aloe juice into the nose, which also has a beneficial effect on the mucous membrane and prevents inflammatory processes.

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Snoring during sleep is not considered normal, especially in childhood. If your baby has a cold and snores, there is no need to worry. The snoring will stop as soon as the child recovers. If snoring is constant, and such provoking factors as an uncomfortable pillow and mattress, dry air in the room are excluded, you need to pay close attention to the problem. Snoring indicates the development of a serious illness. Let's figure out why snoring in a child occurs and how to treat it.

Most often, children aged 3 to 5 years snore.

The mechanism of snoring in adults and children is the same: the soft palate and uvula vibrate as air passes through the respiratory tract, and vibration of the soft tissue is accompanied by specific sounds. This phenomenon may be due to:

• structural abnormalities;
• narrowing of the airway lumen due to a particular disease, excess weight;
• violation nervous regulation respiratory act, genetic diseases.

Snoring also manifests itself as apnea syndrome - a disorder accompanied by short-term interruptions in breathing during sleep (stops last 10 seconds or longer, and can occur every 1.5 minutes).

Acute bacterial and viral infections

A child with a cold may snore with a runny nose and/or inflammation of the pharynx, tonsils, or larynx. The secretion produced by the nasal mucosa makes breathing difficult. If the mucous membrane of the pharynx and larynx becomes inflamed and swollen, the airway narrows, breathing also becomes difficult, and the child begins to snore.

Allergy

A similar situation occurs if the child suffers from allergies. Only inflammation of the mucous membranes is provoked not by viruses or bacteria, but by various allergens - plant pollen, bird fluff or pet hair, synthetic bedding fillers, food. An allergic reaction is accompanied by swelling of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx and difficulty breathing.

Other ENT diseases

A child who snores may have enlarged adenoids. The tissues of the pharyngeal tonsil grow and block the lumen of the airways, which makes breathing very difficult.

According to statistics, in 80% of cases the cause of snoring in a child is adenoids.

Also, breathing problems and children's snoring are caused by:

1. nasal polyps;
2. chronic tonsillitis, in which the tissue of the palatine tonsils increases and becomes loose;
3. structural abnormalities (deviated nasal septum, narrow nasal passages, long uvula, sagging soft palate, abnormal structure of the skull bones);
4. bronchial asthma;
5. oropharyngeal tumors.

Malocclusion

With insufficient development and displacement of the lower jaw back in the supine position, the uvula practically comes into contact with the root of the tongue, thereby preventing the movement of air. Due to vibrations of the uvula during breathing, specific sounds appear.

When a malocclusion develops:

• the child's mouth is constantly open;
• large distance between teeth;
• the upper jaw hangs over the lower jaw.

If your baby has similar signs, you need to contact an orthodontist, who will recommend the best way to correct the bite - using braces or plates.

Enlarged thymus gland

Thymus gland - organ endocrine system, affecting the growth of the child and the processes of immune formation. The enlarged thymus gland puts pressure on nerve endings and large blood vessels. The consequence of this is difficulty in inhaling when breathing.

Rolandic (nocturnal) epilepsy

The disease is most often detected in children aged 2 to 14 years, accompanied by nighttime cramps spreading to one side of the face, pharynx muscles, and tongue. Convulsive activity is accompanied by snoring, which is more like gurgling sounds (as when gargling). Seizures last from a few seconds to 3 minutes.

The difficulty of diagnosis lies in the fact that short seizures They occur at night and last a short time, so parents do not always immediately notice the violation. The disease is not accompanied by mental and neurological changes and goes away completely by the age of 15–18 years. However, a child with such a pathology should be under constant medical supervision.

Why is snoring dangerous for a child?

Snoring during sleep can cause a child to lag in physical and mental development.

If your child snores occasionally, there is no need to worry. But if the baby constantly snores, experiences discomfort from this and does not get enough sleep, you need to consult a doctor and examine the child. A severe form of snoring is accompanied by short-term pauses in breathing during sleep, causing oxygen starvation of the tissues of the brain, heart muscle, and other organs, which leads to serious diseases.

Apnea can be suspected if the child:

• becomes irritable, aggressive, capricious;
• gets tired quickly;
• experiences headaches;
• cannot concentrate, does not remember and assimilate information well, studies worse;
• often wakes up and has nightmares;
• sweats a lot at night;
• lags behind in growth (growth hormone is produced precisely during sleep, and during apnea its production decreases), mental development.

Often, with apnea, children suffer from nocturnal enuresis (urinary incontinence).

If nasal breathing is difficult for some reason, the child begins to breathe through the mouth. As a result, the mucous membranes of the mouth and pharynx dry out and do not fulfill their protective functions. A favorable environment is created in the mouth and throat for the proliferation of infectious microorganisms; the child more often suffers from colds and bacterial inflammation of the ENT organs.

Diagnostics

To establish the exact causes of snoring, the child should be shown to an otolaryngologist. The specialist will make a diagnosis based on the results of such studies:

• visual examination of the nasal passages, pharynx, ears;
• radiography paranasal sinuses nose;
• bacteriological analysis of a smear taken from the nasopharyngeal mucosa;
• laboratory tests of blood and urine.

In addition, the doctor will be able to assess the degree of negative impact of snoring on children's body and the likelihood of developing dangerous consequences. For this purpose, polysomnography is performed - a study in which indicators are recorded various functions body during sleep. The main parameter is the oxygen content in the blood. The lower it is, the more dangerous snoring is for the child’s health.

Based on the diagnosis, the doctor prescribes drug therapy or surgery. If the otorhinolaryngologist does not detect any violations, he will refer the child for examination to specialists of a different profile - an orthodontist, a neurologist.

Drug therapy

The method of treating snoring is selected taking into account its cause.

It is not snoring that needs to be treated, but the cause that causes it. Drug therapy is carried out if the provoking factor is infectious and inflammatory diseases of the ENT organs or allergies.

If snoring is caused by acute infectious inflammation, are assigned:

1. antiviral or antibacterial drugs(depending on the type of pathogen);
2. antihistamines – Cetirizine, Zodak (relieve swelling of the mucous membranes);
3. nasal rinsing solutions based on sea ​​salt– Humer, Marimer, Aqua Maris (clean the nasal cavity, moisturize the mucous membrane);
4. vasoconstrictor nasal drops - Tizin, Otrivin, Galazolin (reduce swelling of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages, suppress mucus production).

Children should use vasoconstrictor drops with caution: if they overdose, atrophy of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages develops, and addiction occurs.

During treatment, the use of vasoconstrictor drops and saline solutions Helps make breathing easier, which reduces the intensity of snoring. Once the child recovers, he will stop snoring completely.

For allergies, the basis of treatment is:

1. use of local and systemic antihistamines;
2. possibly following a special diet;
3. avoiding contact with the allergen.

Surgery

With enlarged adenoids, medication is not always effective, and in this case surgery is performed. Indications for adenotomy (removal of adenoids) are:

1. severe disruption of nasal breathing, caused by a strong proliferation of lymphoid tissue (when the lumen of the respiratory tract is almost completely blocked, only a small gap remains through which the child breathes with difficulty);
2. absence positive results drug treatment.

At chronic tonsillitis the palatine tonsils swell, enlarge, and become loose, which also provokes snoring. In such a situation, a tonsillectomy is performed - removal of the tonsils. When the tissue of the soft palate is enlarged or the uvula is long, uvulopalatoplasty is performed.