Wellness and Health

During normal breathing, air passes through the throat on its way to the  lungs.The air travels past the soft palate, uvula, tonsils, and tongue. When a  person is awake, the muscles in the back of the throat tighten to hold these  structures in place preventing them from collapsing into the airway. During sleep, these structures can fall into the airway causing snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is characterized by loud snroing and distrubed or interruped sleep patterns. Sleep apnea can have serious consequences including cardiac  problems. Frequently patients will awaken in the morning with a headache. If  they become sleep deprived they may feel sleeppy all day, and may fall asleep  while driving in the car.

Sleep apnea is diagnosed by a sleep study. During a sleep study, the  patient's breathing patterns, heart rhythim and brain waves are monitored.If it is found that sleep apnea is present, most doctors recommend the use of  CPAP. CPAP is a breathing device worn during sleep to help keep the airway open.  In some situations surgery is recommended.

Obstructive sleep apnea in normal children is almost always caused by  enlarged (hypertrophic) tonsils and adenoids). These children will display the  typical sleeping patterns of sleep apnea.They have loud snoring, frequent  pauses with breathing at night, frequent awakening from sleep, restless sleep, nightmares, and bedwetting (enuresis). During the daytime, these children are  mouth breathers, may have excessive daytime sleepiness, and poor school  performance. Other more rare causes of sleep apnea include any congenital (present from  birth) or acquired cause of upper airway obstruction. The treatment of obstructive sleep apnea is directed to the cause of the  obstruction.

As noted above, most cases of obstructive sleep apnea in children is caused  by enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Surgical interventions are therefore directed  to what is causing the obstruction. In the case of enlarged tonsils and  adenoids, tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy is usually successful in relieving the  problem. If the problem is not the tonsils and adenoids, the cause of the  obstruction must be determined. For example, surgery of the jaw may be required.  In some cases, even a tracheostomy is necessary. Non-surgical therapies include  oral prostheses (difficult in children), medications (steroids, stimulants), and  weight reduction.

In almost every case of obstructive sleep apnea in children who do not have  unusual anatomic problems, tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy is a safe and  effective treatment, and is highly recommended.Melatrol has combined quality natural ingredients to combat your insomnia on a long term basis: compounds such as melatonin and gamma amino butyric acid are commonly found in healthy people, however many individuals do not produce enough of these compounds, and as a result experience trouble falling asleep and sleeping through the night.Get your free sample here