On the Coast – Families Issue 103 I December 19/January 20 | Page 30

‘T’ is for

T
his is my third and final article in
my series of three, covering
conditions involving the Ears, Nose
and Throat. This one is for the letter T,
throat. The throat is the front part of the
neck, and starts at the back of the mouth,
extending down to include the pharynx,
the tonsils and the larynx. There are two
main conditions which affect children’s
throats that I am covering today,
obstructive sleep apnoea and tonsillitis.
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)
Obstructive sleep apnoea is becoming
more recognised as a medical condition
30
O N T H E C OA S T – FA M ILIES
throat
BY DR SAMANTHA PETHEN
with serious implications for children. It
affects 2-3% of children, whereas snoring
affects 15-20%. Children with simple
snoring and no apnoeas do not need
medical intervention.
OSA in children is essentially the
same as the condition that effects adults.
When we fall asleep, the muscles around
the airways can collapse and the tonsils
and adenoids can cause an obstruction of
the airways. This can cause apnoeas,
where breathing stops for up to 20
seconds, while the lungs generate
enough force to overcome the
obstruction. Then the airway will snap
open, giving the characteristic choking/
gasping sound. While the breathing is
stopped, the oxygen levels can drop much
faster in children than adults and this
reduction in oxygenation is what causes
a lot of the symptoms.
OSA can cause behavioural
problems or issues at school due to poor
concentration if left untreated.
It is diagnosed by a specialist and
may include overnight ‘polysonography’,
which includes monitoring of the heart,
brainwaves and oxygen saturation.
The most common cause is
enlargement of the tonsils and adenoids.