Worried About Snoring in Children? Try New Nasal Spray

How is snoring treated in children? Snoring and breathing problems caused by nasal congestion can be cleared with the help of saltwater nasal spray.

Highlights:

Snoring during sleep in children is often the result of a blocked or stuffy nose
Unblocking the nose to reduce snoring can be done with the help of a simple nasal spray
New saline nasal spray can effectively do this job in children and avoids the removal of tonsils

A simple nasal spray significantly reduced snoring and breathing difficulties in children and halved the number needing to have their tonsils removed, according to a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

What’s Blocking the Nose and Why does it make Children Snore?

If children breathe through a partially blocked nose, suction forces are created that can cause your throat to collapse and make your uvula and soft palate vibrate. When the nose is fully blocked, the child will start breathing through the mouth when they sleep – a common cause of snoring.

Tonsillectomy is the most commonly used surgical method to treat children’s snoring. This procedure is costly, painful, and a significant burden on hospital resources. In Australia, more than 40,000 surgeries are performed every year.

Snoring Symptom Evaluation
People, who normally do not snore, tend to do so after a bout of drinking, viral infections or after taking certain medications.

‘Spraying Saltwater in Children’s Nose clears off congestion that leads to snoring and breathing difficulties.’

Children typically wait more than a year in the public system for surgery to remove tonsils and adenoids, prompting a need to look for an alternative treatment for sleep-disordered breathing. Some children may also be having their tonsils and adenoids out unnecessarily.

Snoring and breathing difficulties during sleep affect about 12 percent of children and can also cause significant long-term issues impacting cognitive function, behavior, and cardiovascular health.

To find a solution to these problems, researchers looked into the simple treatment of nasal sprays. Nasal sprays work by cleaning the nose and/or reducing inflammation not just in the nose but down the back of the throat to the adenoids and tonsillar tissue ().

Do Saline Nasal Sprays Work for Snoring Problems in Children?

In this new study, a randomized-controlled ‘MIST’ trial of the sprays involved 276 children, aged 3-12 years, and was carried out at The Royal Children's Hospital and Monash Children's Hospital.

Snoring in Children Linked to Brain Changes
Children who snore with loud noise at least three nights per week are more likely to developbehavioral problems and learning disabilities.

The findings stated both nasal sprays cleared symptoms while asleep in about 40 percent of cases and those assessed by a surgeon as needing their tonsils and/or adenoids removed were reduced by half.

The study found a saline (salt water) nasal spray was just as effective as an anti-inflammatory steroid nasal spray at easing sleep-disordered breathing in children after six weeks of treatment ().

Persistent Snoring in Children Linked to Problem Behaviors
Young children who snore persistently and loudly are more likely to have problem behaviors, reveals study published in Pediatrics.

This study also suggests that children who snore and have breathing difficulties could be managed successfully by their primary care physician, without referring them to specialists.

Using this cheaper and readily available treatment would increase the quality of life of these children, reduce the burden on specialist services, decrease surgery waiting times and reduce hospital costs.

Can a Nasal Spray Help With Sleep Apnea
A novel nasal spray offers hope to many people with obstructive sleep apnea by activating the surrounding muscles to keep the airway open during sleep.

References:

Steroid Nasal Sprays - (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/steroid-nasal-sprays/)
JAMA Pediatrics - (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics)

Source-Medindia