What is Glossodynia?

Glossodynia is otherwise termed as glossopyrosis which is a symptom that has a characteristic of a sensation of burning in the person’s tongue and it also affects the lips and the entire mouth region. Hence, it is also called as the burning mouth syndrome. The oral cavity becomes inflamed as well as infected. It is commonly reported in women who are in the age of 50 years old and above.

Most often also, the women who experience this kind of condition are entering their menopausal stage or period. Persons with this kind of symptoms do not have organic lesion which are identifiable. Their reports of discomfort are associated with psychogenic basis. Also, there are no visible clinical changes noted with persons having this kind of symptom. It is considered to be the most common of the oral problems there is. In addition to that, this is considered as a psychosomatic kind of disorder.

Sore mouth as one of the physiological symptoms of glossodynia

Glossodynia Symptoms

The person having Glossodynia will be able to manifest the following symptoms, which are associated with this kind of condition:

• Burning sensation in the oral cavity especially in the tongue
• Xerostomia or drying of the mouth
• Cotton mouth or lacking of saliva
• Dysgeusia which is the disorientation of taste wherein things doesn’t taste normally as it should be
• Depression
• Chronic anxiety
• Itching of the tongue
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Difficulty in chewing
• Changing in the person’s mood
• Mouth pain
• Difficulty in speaking
• Increase in thirst
• Mild discomfort in the oral region
• Sore mouth
• Numbing sensation of the mouth

The symptoms mentioned are usually not present in the morning but it eventually gets worse as the day goes on. In addition to that, symptoms may be present in other oral location. Also, the patient with this kind of condition will be able to experience remission and exacerbation of the condition which will last to a few months to years.

Physical assessment of patient who experiencing glossodynia

Image source: img.medscape.com

Glossodynia Causes

The causes or etiological factors that are associated with this symptom or condition may be as follows:

• Damaged nerves of the mouth especially upon dental extraction procedures
• Damage to the nerve particularly the lingual nerve
• Type 2 diabetes
• Nutritional deficiencies such as deficiency in pyridoxine, zinc, iron, folate, riboflavin, cobalamin, thiamin and the like which affects the oral tissues and lead to burning of the mouth
• Imbalance in the hormones which is associated to menopause which affect the saliva composition
• Cigarette smoking such as tobacco smoking
• Hyper acidity
• Oral cancer
• Persons with irritating dentures which put stress on tissues and muscles found in your mouth
• Sjogren’s syndrome
• Hypothyroidism
• Cancerphobia
• Trauma of the tongue
• Side effects of medications like medications for blood pressure control which results to burning of the mouth
• Oral disorders like dry mouth, geographic tongue or lichen planus
• Local infections like oral thrush or otherwise known as candidiasis
• Foaming agent which is found in household products like toothpaste
• Excessive irritation of the mouth which is a result in overbrushing of your tongue or perhaps over consumption of acidic rich foods or beverages and the like
• Psychological Factors such as depression, excessive worrying with regards to health or chronic anxiety and the likes
• Allergic reaction to food that was consumed, food flavorings, fragrances, dyes or other kinds of substances
• GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease which results to the bitter taste fluid that comes from the upper gastrointestinal tract and goes to your mouth which results to pain and irritation
• Oral habits like thrusting of the tongue and grinding of the teeth or otherwise known as bruxism

Hence, to determine the exact causative factor and to allay fear, there is a need to visit or consult your trusted physician for further evaluation and for you to be able to undergo confirmative diagnostic examinations needed for this kind of condition.

Glossodynia Treatment

The treatment for patients diagnosed with Glossodynia varies from one person to another depending on the severity of the manifesting symptoms, as well as the diagnosis and the underlying etiological factors. Apparently, as of the moment, there is no specific treatment that will cure this kind of condition, however, treatment that will reduce the symptoms that the patient experience can be given and prescribed by a trusted physician. Such treatment includes:

• Mouthwashes
• Vitamin supplements which depends on the deficiency of the vitamin
• Alpha lipoic acid
• Oral thrush medication
• Antidepressant medication
• Vitamin B supplement
• Cognitive behavior therapy
• Psychological medications
• Saliva replacement therapy
• Pain reliever such as capsaicin, a known local anesthesia, which comes from chili peppers
• Oral rinses
• Anticonvulsant medication which is in lozenge form such as clonazepam
• Microsurgeries which are done for nerve damage or neuropathies
• Removal of the dentures or crowns
• Plastic tray will be fitted to be able to correct mouth irregularities
• Antibiotic kind of medication to prevent bacteria to lodge in
• Chamomile mouthwash to be used four or five times a day which improves the symptoms associated with this kind of condition

Aside from the ones which were mention, you can manage this kind of condition through having a good oral hygiene, stop smoking, drinking more fluids, engaging in regular healthy exercises, avoiding foods that are acidic kind, spicy, and alcoholic beverages.

Glossodynia Pictures

Spondyloarthropathy Definition

Spondyloarthropathy is a group of diseases involving the joint in the vertebral column. The presence of inflammation along with the joint disease is known as spondyloarthritis. Generally, spondyloarthropathy involves any joint involvement in the vertebral column that may result from any joint disease.

Spondyloarthropathy Image

Symptoms of Spondyloarthropathy

Swelling of one or more joints especially the sacroilial joint – The primary manifestation of spondyloarthropathy is swelling and inflammation of one or more joints including the spine. The sacroilial joint is most commonly affected. The entheses or the connection of the tendons and ligaments on the bones are also inflamed.

• Pain and stiffness in the lower back and buttocks – The inflammation of the spine commonly leads to pain in the lower back that may radiate to the buttocks. Prolonged inflammation may cause arthritic changes that further leads to stiffness.
• Stiffness in the neck and chest – Being a systemic inflammatory disease, the inflammation may also affect the joints in the neck and chest. The shoulders and the legs may also be affected, leading to generalized stiffness of joints.
• Rigid spine – Over time, the spine may fuse together especially in ankylosing spondylitis. The fusion leads to the complete absence of motion of the joints in the spine.
• Limited range of motion of the trunk – The person may not be able to move the trunk leading to functional disability caused by the affectation of the vertebral column.
• Fever and Fatigue – The person may also experience fever and fatigue as a sign of systemic inflammatory condition.
• Inflammation of the bowels – The bowels also suffer from inflammatory condition, which may manifest as abdominal discomfort and problems in bowel elimination.
• Inflammation of the eyes structures – The eye area may also be affected that can lead to inflammation of the conjunctiva, eye lids and other eye structures. The inflammation is often non-infectious.

Severe cases may also lead to lung and heart problems because of stiffness of the joint in the chest.

Types of Spondyloarthropathy

Seronegative spondyloarthropathy

Seronegative spondyloarthropathy is a group of joint disease that involves the axial skeleton. Being seronegative, the patient does not exhibit the presence of rheumatoid factor in the blood. This means that the pathophysiologic mechanism of the condition is different from rheumatoid arthritis.

There are different types of seronegative spondyloarthropathy including:

• Ankylosing Spondylitis – Ankylosing spondylitis is a systemic, chronic inflammatory disease of the joints in the spine as well as other joints in the body such as the neck, hips, shoulders and the joints in the chest. Ankylosing spondylitis may be mild to severe and may cause fusion of the vertebral column after prolonged inflammation.
• Inflammatory spondyloarthropathy – Inflammatory spondyloarthropathy or reactive arthritis is as non-infectious inflammation of the joints in the body. It is usually preceded by gastrointestinal or genitourinary infection. The inflammation may also affect the eyes, skin, GIT and genitals. Reactive arthritis is usually self-limiting and may follow a course of up to 12 months. The condition is usually mild.
• Psoriatic spondyloarthropathy – Psoriatic spondyloarthropathy is the inflammation of the joints in the spine with resulting inflammation of the skin that leads to rapid formation of skin cells leading to psoriasis or the scaly appearance of the skin.
• Enteropathic spondyloarthropathy – This is a spine and peripheral joint disease, which is associated with the occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease like Ulcerative Colitis and Chron’s disease. Enteropathic spondyloarthropathy is also considered juvenile because it is most common in children and young adults with inflammatory bowel disease. This type rarely leads to joint destruction or deformity.
• Undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy – Undifferentiated type may involve one or more conditions, which do not fall under a specific type of spondyloarthropathy

Undifferentiated Spondyloarthropathy Image

Causes of Spondyloarthropathy

The exact cause of spondyloarthropathy is unknown, but certain factors such as genetics and environment has played a role in its development.

Genetics

The presence of HLA-B27 gene was found in majority of patients with spondyloarthropathy. Because of genetics, spondyloarthropathy is considered having familial predisposition. Homozygous individuals are more at risk for developing the disease. Up to 60% of twins also have similar spondyloarthropathy.

Bacterial Infection

Bacteria such as Klebsiella species was found to produce antigenic properties that lead to spondyloarthropathy. Antigens from the bacteria often include arthritogenic properties that may affect the connective tissues and the joints in the vertebral column as the bacteria travels through the blood stream from the gastrointestinal tract. The bacteria initially affect the GIT and produce inflammation in the area.

Diagnosis of Spondyloarthropathy

The diagnosis begins with physical examination and review of the symptoms. Confirmatory diagnosis may include:

X-rays

X-ray of the joints especially the sacroilial joint and the spine usually confirms the diagnosis.

X – ray imaging showing presence of Spondyloarthropathy

Blood tests

Blood tests may also be done to check the presence of HLA B27 gene. However, its presence is not considered confirmatory. The absence of rheumatoid factor also indicates seronegative condition.

Treatment & Diet for Spondyloarthropathy

There is no definite cure for spondyloarthropathies. Treatments usually focus on alleviating pain and other symptoms of the disease. Treatments also aim at preserving joint movement and slow down the disease progression. Treatments include:

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is employed to maintain the normal range of motion of joints. It involves strengthening and stretching exercises as well as breathing exercises and maintenance of good posture.

Medications

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are usually given to relive pain and inflammation. Steroids are rarely administered because it does not improve spinal symptoms. However, it may be used for secondary inflammation of the tendons through injection. Anti-tumor necrosis factors such as adalimumab (Humira), etanercept (Enbrel) and infliximab (Remicade) have been used via intravenous route to slow the progression of ankylosing spondylitis. Other medications for rheumatoid arthritis such as sulfasalazine and methotrexate may also be administered to control the symptoms.

Surgery

Surgical treatments are often not employed, but joint replacements of the hip and shoulders may be done for severe cases that have affected these areas. In enteropathic spondyloarthopathy, colectomy or the surgical removal of the affected colon may be done to reduce inflammation.

Dietary Management

High protein diet is also essential in the management of spondyloarthropathy to hasten the healing process of the joints. However, high levels of purine in the diet should be avoided because purine is metabolized into uric acid that may predispose to the development of gouty arthritis, which may aggravate the condition.

Some people would want to lose weight, but prefer natural solutions to their fat loss needs. Home remedies for weight loss usually come from natural herbs that do not contain harsh chemicals that may be present in most weight loss pills. In this line, home remedies for weight loss are a safe and effective way to lose those extra pounds.

Women in particular look for weight loss programs for women to cater to their specific needs. Home remedies for weight loss are both effective for men and women. Home remedies  to loose fat in a week are there. To start achieving your goals in weight loss in a natural way, the following are the home remedies for weight loss that you can use.:

1. Green tea

Green tea is an effective remedy to lose weight. In fact, it is included in the healthy snacks for weight loss that one can indulge on. Green tea increases the metabolic rate; thereby allowing more fats to be burned. In addition, green tea also suppresses the appetite leading to a more effective reduction in weight. A cup of green tea and a fruit in every meal actually can replace the energy required so you can replace your meals with green tea or drink green tea regularly.

2. Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is another natural remedy for weight loss. Apple cider vinegar, just like green tea, hastens the metabolic rate for a more efficient fat burning ability. You can mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and water and drink small quantities several times in a day.

3. Indian plum

The leaves of Indian plum have properties that help burn fat. Wash the leaves thoroughly and soak them overnight in clean water. Drink the water before breakfast every day and you will see good results in no time.

4. Lime and Honey

Lime and honey is a popular Asian home remedy for weight loss. Mix half a lime juice to a glass of warm water and add a teaspoon of honey.Drink the concoction every morning on an empty stomach. It helps burn fats and also serves as a detoxifying agent for a more efficient fat loss through a healthy metabolism. You can add more lime if you want a sharper taste. Just makesure not to add more honey because the sugar may just gain you more weight.

5. Aloe Vera juice

Aloe Vera is very popular for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Asidefrom these, it is also used to treat minor ailments such as burns, wounds, allergies and skin infections. Along with these benefits, it is also an effective remedy for weight loss. When Aloe Vera juice is taken regularly, it improves the digestion and elimination. Because of this, the food is more efficiently digested and absorbed for a more stable blood sugar levels. A more efficient digestion actually aids in weight loss because of lesser food cravings due to proper nutrition.

6. Fruit Smoothies

Fruits are really popular in losingweight. In particular, when fruits are made into smoothies, they can be sufficient meal replacements. You can prepare a fruit smoothie with soya milk to reduce fats from whole milk. Aside from being a low-fat meal replacement, it also contains high amounts of fiber that improves the elimination of fats and cholesterol.

Aside from these home remedies for weight loss, you should also limit fried foods. Grilled foods are a better substitute for fried foods because of lesser oil. You mayalso steam vegetables to reduce the unwanted saturated fats from cooking oils. Along with using these home remedies, you may also have before and after weight loss pictures to help you identify changes in your weight and body.

Do you want to have quick weight loss results? Every person wanting to lose weight may want to reach their goals in a faster way. Although there are proven weight loss programs as well as home remedies for weight loss that promise effective results, people are still finding ways to lose weight faster than any of these.

Diets for quick weight loss have offered a solution for the quick weight loss needs of people. There are a lot of diet fads out in the market that promisequick results as fast as 1 week. Because of this, people began using these diets for quick weight loss for a faster realization of their weight loss goals.

If you want to lose weight faster than anyone, you may consider the following diets for quick weight loss:

1. 3-day Diet

Because of the fast results promised by this diet, it has become one of the most popular weight loss diets used by people. This type of diet is simple a low calorie diet. In fact, there are no additional features of this diet aside from being a low-calorie one that you need to take every day. Since there is sudden drop in calories, most of the weight loss is in the form of water loss and some fat loss.

2. Cabbage Soup Diet

As the name implies, this diet entails the use of cabbage soup to aid in weight loss. The cabbagesoup diet actually includes a 7 day email plan to aid in weight loss in as fast as 7 days. This diet also needs people to avoid carbonated beverages, alcohol and even bread. CabbageSoup Diet may provide fast results, but does not provide long-term results since the meal plan is only short-term, unless you can live with a cabbage soup over your lifetime. This may be beneficial for those who need to look good for a particular occasion within the next 7 days.

3. 17 Day Diet

The 17 Day Diet promises weight loss of 10 to 12 pounds in 17 days. This diet utilizes a low-acarb diet. It includes 4 phases of dieting including Accelerate, Activate, Achieve and Arrive. The Accelerate phase reduces your carbohydrate intake dramatically. During the second phase, it involves carbohydrate recycling to reset the metabolism for a more effective fat bringing process. In the Achieve phase, you develop a healthier eating habit. The final phase actually allows you to eat a healthy diet during the week including healthy snacks for weight loss and indulging in your diet duringweekends to avoid food cravings.

4. HCG Diet

HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is a hormone secreted by the uterus among pregnant women. The diet involves the use of HCG along with a weight loss diet. Despite being effective, HCG diet is negated by some experts because HCG is one of the illegal drugs today.

5. Weight Loss Grail

Weight Loss Grail is a diet plan that promises a weight loss of 28 pounds in 28 days. It is especially designed to keep people from being hungry or giving up favorite foods. Weight Loss Grail involves eating six small meals a day instead of three large meals to prevent hunger while losing weight. It also assists people to be knowledgeable about weight loss for a more holistic approach. It is one of the beneficial weight loss programs for women and men because it allows for a long-term result as people can continue what they have learned.

Among these, the 17 Day diet and the Weight Loss Grail are evaluated as safe by experts because of the not so rapid weight loss results. Other diets for quick weight loss may be effective and may show realistic before and after weight loss pictures, but the safety may be in question. Nevertheless, make sure to consult health experts beforeundertaking these diets for quick weight loss.

What is Swollen Prostate?

A swollen prostate is the enlarging of the prostate gland in men. It is medically termed as benign prostatic hyperplasia that describes the increase in the cells in the prostate making it appear swollen. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (increase in cells) is interchangeably used with benign prostatic hypertrophy (increase in the size). The two are interchangeably used by urologists, although the exact mechanism is different.

When the prostate swells, it causes significant obstruction of the urethra, which passes through the prostate in men. The prostate may partially or completely impede urine flow in the urethra depending on the severity.

The presence of a swollen prostate is initially identified by manifestations in the urinary tract. Despite the swelling or enlarging of the prostate, it does not result to cancer or malignancies.

Most affected men experience swelling and enlargement beginning 30 years of age. However, histologic evidence of BPH is significantly observed in men aged 50 to 80 years old. Most men are asymptomatic, but about 40% has clinically significant manifestations.

The prevalence of swollen prostate as a result of BPH is 2.7% in men aged 45 to 49 years old and it is increased by 9 fold by 80 years of age. The prostate of men usually enlarges as they age.

Location of Prostate Gland

Image source: healingdaily.com

Symptoms of Swollen Prostate

The swelling of the prostate or enlargement of the prostate results in symptoms affecting the urination as a result of significant obstruction of the urethra. It also results in other manifestations. Symptoms include:

• Urinary frequency – The obstruction in the urethra leads to incomplete emptying of the bladder, leading to frequent need for urination.
• Urinary urgency – There is also an unavoidable need or feeling to urinate because of accumulation of urine in the bladder.
• Nocturia – Nocturia is the frequent voiding at night. The enlarged prostate distends and compresses the bladder leading to reduced volume of the bladder. This stimulates the bladder for urination.
• Urinary hesitancy – Hesitancy is the condition wherein the patient needs to wait until the urinary stream starts. This results from the obstruction in the neck of the bladder as a result of swelling of the prostate.
• Straining during voiding – Straining may also be experienced because of difficulty to pass urine.
• Urinary intermittency – There is frequent stopping of the urine stream during voiding also as a result of impediment in the urethra.
• Urinary dribbling – Urinary dribbling is the occurrence of drops in the urine and the feeling of urge to urinate following voiding.
• Dysuria – Dysuria or pain during urination may be a result of irritation in the urethra because of inflammation.

The presence of obstruction leads to stasis of urine in the bladder. This further leads to stasis of bacteria in the bladder that may lead to urinary tract infection. The stasis of urine also causes stones to develop.

Swollen Prostate

Causes of Swollen Prostate

There are vast causes of swelling of the prostate. These include:

• Benign prostatic hypertrophy or hyperplasia – As discussed earlier, the occurrence of BPH is a significant cause of swelling of the prostate. The increase in size and the increase in cells usually mimic swelling of the prostate. Benign prostatic hyperplasia results from an increase in the dihydrotestosterone levels, a metabolite of testosterone. The presence of high levels of dihydrotestosterone acts in the stromal cells of the prostate leading to activation of growth factors that causes increase in the size of the prostate. Men with high testosterone levels, for example, hairy men, may experience BPH when they get old.
• Prostatitis – Prostatitis is the inflammation of the prostate gland that results from possible infection. Presence of unmanaged urinary tract infection may spread in the prostate and cause infection in the area. The swelling that results from the infection also causes similar affectation of the urinary tract.
• Exogenous testosterone therapy – Similar to the mechanism of BPH, exogenous testosterone leads to increased circulating dihydrotestosterone as a metabolite.

Diagnosis of Swollen Prostate

Diagnosis of swollen prostate includes:

Rectal examination

The prostate can only be palpated through the rectum. A rectal exam may reveal an enlarged prostate.

Digital Rectal Examination to detect presence of swollen prostate

Blood tests

Prostate specific antigen is usually elevated in the presence of inflammation and hyperplasia of the prostate gland. Presence of severely elevated PSA may indicate malignancy of the prostate.

Ultrasonography

Ultrasound of the abdomen is also done to determine the exact size of the prostate. Ultrasound may also involve detection of the kidneys and testicles to rule out hydronephrosis or cancer cells in the genitourinary tract.

Ultrasonography to detect presence of swollen prostate

Treatment of Swollen Prostate

Treatments of swollen prostate include:

Medications

Medications are used to reduce the size of the prostate. The 5α-redcutase is responsible for converting testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. Drugs such as 5α-redcutase inhibitors may play an important role in preventing the conversion to dihydrotestosterone, thereby preventing increase in the size of the prostate. Side-effects of these medications include ejaculation problems, decrease in libido and erectile dysfunction because of the decrease in DHT needed by men. Alpha blockers are also given together with the first drug. These medications are under the class of alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonists. This is the most common drug of choice for BPH. Examples of these drugs include terazosin, doxazosin and tamsulosin. These drugs relax the smooth muscles of the bladder and prostate, thereby decreasing obstruction in the urethra. Since these drugs affect the blood vessels, it may cause hypotension as a side-effect.
Medications are the first line of treatment for swelling of the prostate.

Conservative Techniques

Non-invasive techniques include transurethral needle ablation and transurethral microwave thermotherapy. These procedures deliver energy in the prostate gland to allow for necrosis of the cells. The prostate decreases in size when necrosis happens. These procedures are usually done in an out-patient basis and patients may be able to resume activities immediately.

Surgery

Transurethral resection of the prostate may also be done. It involves the insertion of curette in the urethra to scrape the prostate. This technique is performed under general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia. Bleeding is a potential complication, so measures to prevent bleeding are employed.

Transurethral resection of the prostate

Since bleeding is the complication of TURP, a cystoclysis or three – way catheter is placed after the surgery to dissolve clots that may possibly formed.

Cystoclysis to dissolve clots after surgery

Home Remedies for Swollen Prostate

Home remedies are also available for swelling of the prostate. These include:

• Saw palmetto extract – This is an herbal preparation used to reduce the size of the prostate and prevent swelling for normal individuals. Saw palmetto also reduces symptoms associated with swollen prostate.
• Pygeum – This is also an herbal preparation extracted from Prunus Africana bark.
• Others – Other herbal preparations for swollen prostate include hypoxis rooperi, pumpkin seed, rye grass and stinging nettle. These herbal medications may control symptoms and do not have potential side-effects.

Sleep apnea in children is actually a medical condition which triggers the ability to breathe normally while you are sleeping. It will lead to a pausing of the normal breathing of a child when one has sleep apnea. It is actually a rare medical condition found in children. This is a medical condition which needs to have a medical intervention as much as possible for when it progresses to a chronic form of sleep apnea. Our body needs oxygen, when one has sleep apnea, our body is deprived off the oxygen that it needs.

Sleep Apnea in Children Symptoms

Sleep apnea in children is a major medical condition that needs intervention. In order for the person say that the child has a sleep apnea, the child must manifest the following symptoms:

• Restless sleeping
• Cognitive problems
• Poor attention span
• Enlarged adenoids
• Enlarged tonsils
• Breathing via the mouth
• Poor gaining of weight or losing of weight
• Poor concentration
• Insomnia
• Memory problems
• Growth and development problems
• Hostile
• Hyperactive
• Inattentive
• Decrease performance in school
• Angry
• Irritable
• Snoring
• Nightmares

Sleep Apnea in Children Causes

There are actually a lot of factors which causes children to experience sleep apnea. The following are the factors which causing the medical condition sleep apnea in children:

• Obesity

Obese children are increasing in number according to statistics. The increase of obese children makes them a high risk in experiencing sleep apnea. This is made possible because the fat lining of the airway grows continually as one is obese which results to the narrowing and crowding of the child’s airway passage. Extra weight located just outside of the airway will lead to the application of pressure leading to its collapse and eventually resulting to apnea episodes especially sleep apnea condition.

• Enlargement of the adenoids and tonsils

This is actually the common factor of why children experience sleep apnea. It happens due to the fact, anatomically speaking; there is a narrow passageway of the uppermost part of the airway. Anatomically speaking, the affected parts are the tonsils and the adenoids which are the tissues located at the back portion of the throat and mouth. However, not all children who have enlarged adenoids and tonsils have sleep apnea condition. There are only a small fraction of them who are suffering from sleep apnea and have such anatomical problem present.

• Neuromuscular factors

This happens because there are losses of musculature control especially in the upper airway passage way which lead to the child to experience sleep apnea. Another neuromuscular factor is the changes in the tone of the muscles which can be medically defined as either Hypertonia or hypotonia. Also, when a child has a compressed brainstem, it may also lead to the child to suffer from sleep apnea.  In addition to that, according to studies, developmental abnormalities such as Down syndrome are also at risk for such medical condition.

• Abnormalities in the craniofacial aspect

Another cause of sleep apnea in children is the presence of abnormalities in the craniofacial aspect or to put it simply the ones which affect the head and face. One abnormalities is the macroglossia or the presence of enlarge tongue can lead to symptoms of sleep apnea as it will obstructs the passageway of the air.

• Mucopolysaccharidoses

This deals with a rare medical disorder which makes the child at risk to having sleep apnea. This happens because there is accumulation of the large molecules and there is size swelling in the upper airway tissues.

Sleep Apnea in Children Treatment

With regards to the treatment of sleep apnea in children, the following can be done:

• Positive Airway Pressure Machines
• Weight reduction for obese children
• Surgical procedure for those having enlarge adenoids and tonsils
• Pharmacological treatment which is aimed in relaxing the airway such as sedative drug
• Tracheotomy is considered to be the last option for children with sleep apnea; this will aid in the normal breathing of the child.  

Sleep Apnea in Children Long Term Effects

Children who are not given proper treatment for their sleep apnea will experience long term effects such as:

• Overweight issues
• Rise in blood pressure
• Unproductive day to day activities
• Prone to accidents
• Depression
• Excessive fatigue episodes
• Memory loss
• At risk for stroke
• Cardiomyopathy
• Diabetes
• Heart attacks
• Arrhythmias
• Congestive heart failure