Sleep Apnea In Teens – 5 Causes, 16 Symptoms & 4 Treatments
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Teenagers today are full of life! With big dreams and ambitions, they want to achieve great things at a very young age. Apart from a sharp mind, their drive to excel also needs to be supplemented with wholesome nutrition and at least nine hours of sleep. Given the advent of technology today, many people, especially teenagers tend to suffer from sleep disorders. Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders in teens today. This disorder can hamper the psychological progress, physiological health, and overall well-being of your teen significantly, and thus, needs immediate attention. This article will help you understand the causes, symptoms, and treatments for sleep apnea in teens. Read on to learn all about the causes of sleep apnea in teenagers.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea, or obstructive sleep apnea, is a common disorder in which a teen’s breathing is repeatedly restricted while sleeping due to blocked airways. Teens suffer from or gasp for breath after a gap in breathing, which may occur 30 times in an hour. Normal breathing then resumes with a choking sound or a loud snort (1).
Causes Of Sleep Apnea In Teens:
Teenage is a crucial stage of growth and development of an individual. However, certain factors of life prevent teens from getting an adequate amount of sleep. Here are some prominent causes of sleep apnea in teens.
- Busy schedules
- Rapidly changing growth and development.
- Active social life
- Inappropriate sleeping patterns.
- Obesity (2).
Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea In Teens:
Even though loud and chronic snoring is the common symptom of sleep apnea in teens, your teenager may also suffer other symptoms, some of which include:
- Morning headaches
- Learning and memory problems or poor concentration.
- Feeling depressed or apathy during daytime.
- Mood swings
- Waking up to urinate frequently.
- A sore throat or dry mouth.
- Weight gain
- Aggressive behavior.
- Muscle pain in neck, head, and shoulders.
- Scoliosis in the spine.
- Grinding of teeth in daytime due to stress and hormonal changes.
- Dental pain.
- Malocclusion and difficulty while chewing the food.
- Retruded mandible.
- Poor tongue postures along with slow, noisy eating (3).
If your teen suffers from any of the above symptoms, see your doctor immediately.
[ Read: Sleep Deprivation In Teens ]
Treating Sleep Apnea In Teens:
Certain devices and good habits can help treat sleep apnea in teens effectively. Find below some prominent treatments for the disorder.
1. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Device (CPAP):
The first line of treatment for sleep apnea in teens includes CPAP. CPAP is a mask that fits over the mouth or nose of your teen and blows air into the airway gently to help keep it open while sleeping. You will find that lots of doctors will recommend the use of CPAP since it is highly effective for the sleep disorder (4).
2. Dental Appliances:
The second line of treatment for tackling sleep apnea includes dental appliances for your teenager. Dental appliances reposition your teen’s lower jaw and tongue and mitigate the symptoms of the disorder (5).
[ Read: Insomnia In Teens ]
3. Lifestyle Changes:
Certain changes in lifestyle help alleviate the symptoms of the sleep disorder effectively.
- Weight Loss: Encourage your teen to lose weight, if she is overweight. Reduction in weight can mitigate adverse effects of sleep apnea.
- Avoid Alcohol: Instruct your teen to avoid alcohol since drinking alcohol wakes you up frequently in the night and relaxes the upper airway breathing muscles.
- Quit Smoking: Smoking cigarette can cause the upper airway to swell thereby worsening the symptoms of apnea. (6).
4. Surgery:
In extreme cases, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove excess tissue in the airway to keep it open while sleeping (7).
Following early and the right line of treatment will help your teen have relief quickly and effectively.
Did you teen suffer from sleep apnea at any time? What did you do to treat it effectively? Share your invaluable experience with other moms of teenagers. Leave a comment below.
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