“If snoring in children only occurs during an acute infection, there is no need to worry,” says Paul Zwittag, head of the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic at the Kepler University Hospital in Linz.
The situation is different if the nocturnal noises can be heard again and again in otherwise healthy children. “Then parents should definitely go to the doctor,” advises Zwittag: “Adenoids that are enlarged due to inflammation can result in sleep apnea, for example,” he says. This complete cessation of breathing, sometimes for several seconds, is not only dangerous for adults, long-term consequences such as daytime tiredness, poor concentration or increased susceptibility to infections of the upper respiratory tract can also occur in children.
Surgical reduction
In general, snoring in children should be seen as a warning sign and can also hit the ears if it lasts longer. An operation can often help, says Zwittag: “In our clinic, enlarged tonsils in children are surgically reduced up to ten times a week.”
Source: Nachrichten
