Adenotonsillectomy can reduce behavioral and emotional problems in children suffering from obstructive sleep apnea

Enlarged tonsils or adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the most common cause of breathing disorders while sleeping. 85 to 95% of cases can be completely cured by performing a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Sleep-disordered breathing may simply be a mild obstruction causing snoring or a major obstruction causing obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring occurs in about 12% of children and obstructive sleep apnea occurs in about one to three percent. Study results reported that subjects with obstructive sleep apnea had a higher prevalence of behavioral and emotional problems compared to those without - 20% compared to 10%. These were greatly improved after an adenotonsillectomy. Children also benefited health wise and had an improved quality of life as well.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Science Daily

Related Disease Topics:

• Adenotonsillar hypertrophy
• Enlarged tonsils
• Breathing disorder
• Sleep-disordered breathing
• Obstructive sleep apnea

Related Symptom Topics:

• Snoring
• Behavioral problems
• Emotional problems

Article Source Details

About: Adenotonsillectomy can reduce behavioral and emotional problems in children suffering from obstructive sleep apnea

Date: 28 January 2005

Source: Science Daily

URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050126111817.htm

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Statistics
• Surgery
• Surgery and adenotonsilectomy
• Surgery and tonsillectomy
• Surgery and adenoid removal
• Surgery and adenotonsillar hypertrophy
• Surgery and enlarged tonsils
• Surgery and breathing disorder
• Surgery and sleep-disordered breathing
• Surgery and obstructive sleep apnea
• Surgery and snoring
• Surgery and behavioral problems
• Surgery and emotional problems
• Cause of adenotonsillar hypertrophy
• Cause of enlarged tonsils
• Cause of breathing disorder
• Cause of sleep-disordered breathing
• Cause of obstructive sleep apnea
• Cause of snoring
• Cause of behavioral problems
• Cause of emotional problems

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