Obstructive sleep apnea is a dangerous and life-threatening condition that affects about 20% of the adult population. Left untreated, it can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, and heart failure. It can also exacerbate depression and attention deficit disorder.
Even more alarming, sleep disorders, including obstructive sleep apnea, affect up to 11% of all children. Many times they start with open-mouth breathing and tongue thrust.
Fortunately, many of these triggers can be identified and successfully remediated before age 10. If overlooked and untreated, however, the negative effects of sleep disorders will accumulate and exacerbate over time.
What a pity that many individuals will suffer a lifetime of sleep deprivation and chronic pain, not to mention the risk of various physical and mental health problems, because their childhood unhealthy oral habits went undiagnosed.
That didn’t happen to 7-year-old Calvin…thanks to the awareness and wisdom of his concerned mother. Here is Calvin’s story…
Calvin’s Nose was Blocked
Calvin’s mom had only recently learned that he was an open-mouth breather with a tongue thrust. His nose was often congested, and after 7 years of not using it, was relatively untrained and dysfunctional. Without the use of his nasal passages, he consistently breathed with his lips apart. His tongue sat visibly between his teeth.
At night, in a prone position, he struggled to keep his airway open by craning his neck at a sharp, uncomfortable angle and stretching his lips widely apart. When he finally fell into a deep sleep, his breathing was loud and irregular…his mom worried each time she heard him take a noisy, labored breath. His sleep cycle was interrupted repeatedly as he jolted himself awake to gasp for air through his partially blocked oral airway. He woke up most mornings feeling tired and cranky and fell asleep sporadically throughout the day due to his sleeplessness at night.
As he went through one sleepless night after the next, he grew more and more exhausted and started developing droopy lids and dark circles under his eyes.
Calvin’s Tonsils were Blocking His Oral Airway.
After conversing with Calvin and his mom about his oral history, I gloved up and looked inside his mouth. His tonsils appeared red and swollen. They were literally blocking much of his airway.
Think about it! His nasal airway was practically useless from congestion and lack of practice, and his oral airway was almost blocked! Of course, he had sleep apnea! And naturally, his enlarged tonsils pushed his tongue out into a forward resting position, in what is otherwise known as a tongue thrust.
I immediately sent this family to see an Ear-Nose-Throat doctor who specializes in sleep apnea. Within a month, Calvin’s tonsils were removed. Within a week of that, his sleep apnea was gone!
Calvin Must Develop Healthy Breathing and Swallowing Habits
Calvin’s health is the most crucial reason to pursue his treatment. If Calvin doesn’t correct his forward tongue resting position and open-mouth breathing, he will be at greater risk for airborne illnesses all his life. The nose is designed for breathing…it purifies, humidifies and warms the air before it enters your lungs. Open-mouth breathing exacerbates asthma, allergies and reduces our immunity to airborne illnesses. Calvin must learn to breathe through his nose with his lips closed.
Not only that, as an open-mouth breather/tongue thruster, he will be at risk for chronic jaw problems related to the strain that open-mouth breathing places on the TMJ. Another concern–improper tongue placement reverses many people’s orthodontics. And he will be at risk for repeated episodes of sleep apnea for the rest of his life.
Parents, physicians, and dentists, please help us get these kids diagnosed and treated. Sleep apnea is a life-threatening condition. And in many cases, it is treatable by correcting open-mouth breathing and tongue thrust at a very early age. And the earlier you treat it, the greater the chances of developing clear speech patterns as well as normal breathing/swallowing habits and having a pain-free, healthier, happier life.
If you know of someone, child or adult, who is suffering from sleep apnea, open-mouth breathing and/or tongue thrust, call us at 858.509.1131. We can help! It is never too early or too late to begin.