Stating that sleep apnea (respiratory arrest during sleep) may be the cause of fatigue, which is often expressed during seasonal transitions, Specialist. Dr. Cüneyt Altunay said, “Sleep apnea is also seen in children. It usually occurs as a result of large tonsils and adenoids blocking the airway. In a child with sleep apnea who always goes to school tired, wakes up frequently, suffers from frequent infections and growth and development retardation, even surgical removal of the adenoid only ends the complaints to a great extent.”
While giving information about sleep and sleep apnea, Acıbadem Kent Hospital ENT Specialist Dr. Cüneyt Altunay pointed out that 80-90 percent of people with moderate and severe sleep apnea worldwide have not yet been diagnosed. Stating that sleep is a break that prepares the person physically and psychologically for the next life battle with its different stages, Uzm. Dr. Altunay said: “With a healthy sleep pattern, oxygen is provided above a certain level in the blood and development, growth, renewal and rest functions are provided up to the most extreme cells. After a good sleep, the person feels rested and dynamic. If we are talking about daytime fatigue, we can express this as 'a sluggish and exhausted day that tends to sleep despite sleeping the usual amount of sleep', in other words, 'sleep does not rest the person as much as it should'. This may be due to sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a serious disease that affects the general health of the individual, although today it only comes to mind with snoring and social effects. However, it is also important in terms of safety as well as work performance and productivity of the individual and his/her environment. The most typical example is long-distance bus drivers. The three classic features of the disease are snoring, witnessed apnea (the testimony of a person who witnesses your breathing stopping for a certain period of time) and daytime fatigue. As an objective finding, the presence of apnea should be detected by a sleep test (polysomnography).”
Stating that sleep apnea may underlie this picture of children who sleep at night but wake up tired in the morning, Uzm. Dr. Altunay said, “One of the most important reasons contributing to sleep apnea is the resistance that occurs at different levels from the beginning to the end of the respiratory tract. The most typical examples of this resistance are adenoid growth in childhood and nasal curvatures in adults. In patients with sleep apnea diagnosed clinically and, if necessary, with sleep tests, surgery in appropriate cases is promising. In a child with sleep apnea who always goes to school tired, wakes up frequently, chokes, has frequent infections, and experiences growth and development retardation, even the surgical removal of the adenoid alone ends the complaints to a great extent. said.
Altunay said that obesity, nasal curvature, swelling of the flesh, obstructive sinus and nasal diseases, adenoid, soft palate laxity, large small tongue, tongue root and jaw problems in adults can benefit from surgery in appropriate cases. Stating that an important option in appropriate cases is to use a pressurized breathing device at night, Altunay noted that this is decided with the physician and the patient after the device compliance test after the sleep test.
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