6 Year Old Who Snores

We went to an ENT who had us have my daughter's head x-rayed. He felt that, after looking at the x-ray, that it would be best to try some allergy meds (she not only snored, but was getting sick often - ears and throat). I am almost afraid to write this (okay - a little superstitious) - but since starting the Zyrtec, - no snores - no colds, no ear infections.

All the best,
S.

I would take her to a snoring expert to get a second opinion. There is a really great one in Snider Plaza called the Snoring Center or something like that. There are alternitives.

Get a second opinion from another ENT. However, My daughter no longer snores since she got her tonsils and adenoids removed. We didn't have them removed for that reason . . . she was having severe tonsil infections . . . but the ENT took one look at her tonsils and ask if she snored and I said yes and the ENT said that problem would stop and she was right! Another girl on my daughter's soccer team had her tonsils and adenoids removed because they were impacting her sleep so badly that she was always tired and out of breath. You should see her go now!

So, a second opinion is always a good thing to have, but if ENT #2 suggests removal, then that would seem the best way to go.

Hi H.,

Your daughter would benefit greatly from adaptogens! My husband and I ordered an incredible book off Amazon titled Adaptogens, Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief by Winston and Maimes. It is fascinating. From the book "There is a category of herbs called adaptogens that help the human body adapt to stress, support normal metabolic processes, and restore balance. They increase the body's resistance to physical, biological, emotional, and environmental stressors and promote normal physiologic function".

This section pinpoints the root cause of your daughter's problem and offers a solution: "Many people suffer from insomnia and related sleep problems. Stress can disrupt the regular circadian (time-related) secretion of cortisol and can be a major cause of sleep problems. Adaptogens regulate the production of cortisol, reducing stress. A relaxed, less stressful body allows for better and more rejuvenating sleep".

The 10 most potent adaptogens on the earth, with the highest therapeutic properties available, are now delievered in a fast acting oral spray, called Tunguska Mist. Go to www.VitalHealth.TunguskaMist.com to learn more.

I highly recommend you try Tunguska Mist PM for your daughter. PM is NATURAL and non-habit-forming. PM will help her relax and fall asleep naturally. A friend of mine said that PM has helped with her husbands's snoring.

Instead of commercial drugs that can leave you drowsy and fogged in, use PM (a natural sleep aid) for a sound, peaceful night's sleep. The 10 beneficial adaptogens in PM also assist in reducing stress and improve your immune system while you sleep. They taste great and with the intra-oral spray you get over 90% of the nutrients absorbed immediately, which go to work within seconds. A serving is 6 sprays; for children under 100 pounds, 1/2 a serving is recommended. So I would suggest 1 or 2 sprays (inside the cheeks) and see how she does, then go from there.

Please let me know if you have any questions. My husband and I have been using adaptogens for a long time. We are passionate about helping people reduce the damaging effects of stress on the body and restoring balance naturally, without medications. Good luck and God Bless:)

Best regards,
N.

hi, my daughter did the same thing, actually, her mouth was so small and tonsils were so big, that it was causing her tongue to thrust forward and it was affecting her teeth. now that her tonsils are out, she's breathing better, easier and it seems to be helping her teeth to straighten out. if they are snoring at night, they aren't getting good quality sleep and they might not be getting enough oxygen. i would listen to the doctor, but i would possibly get a second opinion from another ENT doc before you do the surgery, just to make sure. i don't know who you are seeing now, but the man that has done surgery on my daughter and me, and even some other children in our family, is Dr. Lawrence Weprin. He's very experienced and he's a wonderful doctor!

Hi H., some people just snore but it's because they breath through their mouths. A lot of childrens nasil passages are small & they breath easier with their mouth open when they sleep. Try to get her to sleep on her side this helps sometimes. My 4 yr. old grandson snores like a train, lol. Taking his adnoids out didn't help a bit. I come from a big family & that hasn't helped in the snoring area for most of us. Also try moistening the inside of the nose with a Qtip & mentholatum or vasiline that helps as well. Until she gets older & unless she has a lot of sickness from her tonsils I wouldn't bother removing them. I know it can be annoying but some do out grow it.
Take care. God Bless.

I agree with the Mom that recommended taking him back to the ENT. Our 5 year old was having the same problem and the Dr. gave us the same advice so we decided to go with it and it has been wonderful for her since. She sleeps better and doesn't snore so loud that she wakes herself up anymore. Good Luck, I know it's a hard decision to make...

I would probably go and have it done. If she is not getting restful sleep that could affect many other aspects of her daily life and if she has sleep apnea the effects can be even worse. I know surgery is a big deal, but it would probably make her feel so much better in the long run. I would be hesitant to use any suggested herbal remedy as they are not regulated by the FDA so you never know what you're really getting in that capsule and it may be too high of a dose for children. good luck

Something else to consider - when someone struggles to breathe while sleeping (as with sleep apnea causing snoring) that puts a strain on the heart which can eb dangerous. The recovery is also more painful when you are older, so it is good to get it done when you're young. My son had his tonsils and adenoids removed when he was 4 - his tonsils were large, his adenoids were HUGE. He no longer had all the ear infections he had had as an infant, but he did snore a lot, and I heard pauses in his breathing when he slept, so probably sleep apnea too. Surgery is always a scary thing, but I am glad we got him taken care of and now don't have to worry about tonsilitis, strep throat, increased ear infections or the sleep apnea he probably had!

I had my adenoids removed when I was 6 and I still snore. I am now 34. I never had my tonsils removed, but I don't think that has anything to do with snoring. I wouldn't do it just because she snores. I had mine removed because of breathing problems and infections. If there is a reason to take them out besides snoring, the surgery is simple and not that drastic, but I wouldn't do it for snoring because it doesn´t work. At least not for me.

For a young child, no. The cause of the snoring and poor sleep will be corrected with the surgery. ALthough it seems drastic, you will be amazed at how much better she feels and sleeps after the surgery. If you still question the necessity of it, get a 2nd opinion from another ENT.

It does sound drastic, however, I admit we gave in and had our daughter's removed at 10 and it was a piece of cake. She was on her 2nd popcycle by the time we made it to the recovery room! Not only did it remedy the snoring, but also sleep walking and talking in her sleep. She actually began sleeping well and wasn't tired all the time. She also was suseptable to step, which she hasn't had now in 4 years. Best of luck in your decision!

I would listen to the ENT. If she snores like that all the time already it could easily become sleep apnea (not sure the correct spelling). I've done some research on this because I have snorers in my house too.

My mom swears by the "Breathe Right" strips. It's not a medication and has no medication on them. It just opens up the nose so it makes breathing through it easier. You could always try it and see if it works. My mom says it helps with my dad's snoring (he could wake the neighborhood if we didn't have walls...). I've thought of trying them if my congestion gets bad again to where I may need another sinus surgery.

I don't have a solution for you, but wanted you to know that my daughter, who snored very loudly, had her tonsils and adenoids removed because of repeated tonsilitis, still snores. That didn't change at all. Those tonsils are in your daughter for a reason. That's part of her amazing body. Never remove anything without a good cause. And only you can decide if the snoring fits that bill.

If the remedy mentioned below doesn't work, go back to the ENT. I took my 4 yr old in b/c he was drooling continually. Turns out, when we went through all of the questions the ENT had for us, our son had severe sleep apnea...causing the snoring that i thought was harmless. when they put him under to do the surgery, his throat closed immediately b/c of the apnea. i was verrrry concerned with this drastic measure, but he now sleeps all night, no snoring, 11 hours. (it also cured the drooling)...sorry i don't have another option for you. however!!!!! everyone said that children heal so fast and it was easier on them...blah blah blah.....the recovery was a little more involved than i expected. we actually stayed in the hospital overnight b/c of the sleep apnea---i live in murphy but went all the way to baylor frisco b/c they were so highly reccommended!!

I had my T&A removed due to similar problems and my mom said it was amazing how much it helped! :)

We have three son's the oldest snored so loudly we could hear him two rooms away. When he was 4 we had his adenoids and tonsils removed and he has been sleeping great for 9 years. I was suprised when the doctor said we needed to do the surgery, but it has been well worth it.

I had my tonsils and adenoids removed when I was 6 due to continous soar throats. I am 53 and I still snore and I guess I always will. I also have tried everything to stop other than surgery and nothing has helped as of yet.

Hi H.! Please don't have the child endure surgery until you've tried lots of other options FIRST!! One I would recommend is Chiropractic...Chiropractors adjust children very gently... The adjustment stimulates the Nervous System (which consists of the Brain and Spinal Cord)...which controls every other system in the body...controls all organs, tissues, and cells in the body! I've delt with many children experiencing snoring and many other problems from allergies, asthma/wheezing, and even those that seem to be continuously sick...
I'd love to offer you a free consultation and everyone from this website receives 50% off the exam... on the first visit we will determine if your child might benefit from Chiropractic...it is important in my office that you AND your child get educated...I'd love to help yall out...just give the office a call! Best of Luck to you and your daughter!

Dr. H. S.
S. Chiropractic & Wellness
5850 Town & Country Blvd, Ste 1301
###-###-####

Hi H.,

If it were my daughter, I would research WHY she was snoring and try to eliminate the root cause, rather than resort to surgery, which is not going to fix the root cause. Doctors love to diagnose "anatomical defects" which really means, they're training didn't equip them with the ability to properly diagnose the problem and help you, so the problem must be you. Surgery is an easy and profitable solution for them.

Tonsil and adenoid surgery is on the list of top unnecessary surgeries. Tonsils are part of the immune system. If they are enlarged causing breathing obstruction, it means the immune system is aggravated. To fix the problem, you need to investigate WHAT is causing the immune system irritation. Doctors are NOT trained to do this.

The solution probably lies in change of lifestyle. However, for many people this is not an attractive option. Some people don't want to change their diets, for example. If that is the case, perhaps surgery is the right course for you after all.

If however, you are interested in true "health" improvement, you might start your research with the following articles:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/0...

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/1...

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/1...

This article talks about the tonsils as part of the immune system, and how chiropractic work can help:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/0...
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/0...

Good luck!

We had this same surgery on my son. The surgery was not difficult, however much to my disappoint he still had trouble breathing after the surgery. Ultimately my son went back to our family physician to see what we could do next. Since he does have allergies, he was put on Nasonex (nosepray). He uses it twice a day and I haven't heard him snore since.

Here was my situation: My son snored and had trouble breathing at night from the moment I remember. He was always getting sick and getting ear infections too. He also didn't really start talking either and we started to worry about his hearing. We went to our ENT and he said he had really thick fluid in his ears. We decided for tubes. I brought up the snoring and he said he wanted us to get tested for allergies first. He said there were times when parents wanted the adenoids and tonsils out and come to find out...they had allergies. So we took his advice and only did the tubes. My son went to a pediatric allergist and got a clean bill of health. I waited another 9 mos and no improvement, so we opted for his adenoids out (we kept his tonsils in because our ENT said they weren't that big). Literally from the moment of surgery I could tell a difference. Now we don't even hear him sleeping on the monitor or when you walk in the room and he is much more rested and less dark circles under his eyes everyday (his mood is better too). Helps when you get a good night sleep! I don't regret it one bit. Surgery was a very easy recovery. Good luck. PS----get several opinions from other ENT's if you are concerned about the advice from the first one.

My son did that, & the surgery cured him. He was 4. He did have an anesthetic reaction - he screamed incessantly for 2 hours post surgery - but other than that he was ok. He is 10 now & has never had a problem since.

Our almost 4 yrs old starting snoring at two yrs old. He was always so tired and grumpy through the day. We tried Breathe Right strips, mentholatum, different pillows, his pediatrician said it was allergies and to give him benadryl or prescription allergy relief. But nothing worked. Took him to an ENT and he recommended the same T/A surgery within 5 minutes of the appt. We were shocked. He had the surgery and WOW no more snoring and deep sleep for him and the rest of the family! At the hospital, there were a dozen kiddos lined up for T&A surgery. That was a crazy experience. Good luck to you.

my 2 year old just had his t/a removed in july. he snored since the day he was born but had unusually large tonsils. i did not want to do the surgery but was told i should. all the snoring can lead to sleep apnia, which will only get worse. he did great for the surgery. they say the younger the patient the better. he has not snored since then and he sleeps soooo much better. good luck with your decision.

Hi H.:

Did the ENT also mention sleep apnea that usually occurs along with the snoring? I'm guessing the snoring is due to enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids.

My son had his adenoids removed when he was 4 years old. The sleep apnea is very scary. If you've ever slept with your daughter you might have heard her snore then stop. It sounds like she isn't breathing. That is probably because she isn't.

I know it's very scary to put your child through surgery. The procdure itself is not long at all, which should help with your worry a little.

Good luck with your decision. I hope your daughter gets a good nights sleep soon!

I know that this type of surgery might seem drastic but once it is done, their is a huge noteable difference. My son who was born premature(he decided he needed to see the world 3 months early) had this procedure done when he was two. When I tell you that he snored just as loud if not louder than his dad and most men by age 1 and it only got worse. Once he had the surgery, he did not have any more problems. I do know that before surgery his breathing was becoming affected and most nights we lost sleep wondering if he was breathing correctly. People talk about the tonsils for the immune system etc but I do know of our family, my son is the last one if ever sick with colds, allergies, flu etc.

Surgery is a big step but in the long run it is your decision as mom.

Hi, I know it sounds drastic but if she has sleep apnea, then removing the tonsils and adnoids would take care of that in most cases. it would be better for her health if this is the case.

Get a second oppinion then make YOUR decision.

Good luck
A. J

I know that the strips that tape over the nose can be fun to wear, and allows air to flow easily.

I am a snorer. I had both my tonsils & adnoids removed when I was in high school. So, that is not a guarantee.
Does she have allergies or a cold? I'm not trying to be insenistive, but does she have an issue with her weight? Any of those can cause snoring.
My 'issue' is that I have an issue with my weight, but also, my bone structure is small and I have year round allergies. That causes my sinuses to stay pretty clogged up, so I snore.
I would try to aleviate the snoring with medications for colds or allergies, or get her weight under control (if that is an issue) before going the surgery route - especially if she's not having any problems with ear infections or tonsillitis frequently.
Good Luck,
Frances

Dear H.:

If there is a big problem with her tonsils and adnoids, it may be a good idea to remove them. Like you though, I would want to know that it is a BIG problem.

The "guys" in my family also snore. BreathRight strips are a great short-term fix. In the long term though, nothing has worked better for my family than diet and excercise. My guys, even if they are not technically overweight, develop a fat pouch at the back of the throat that responds well to healthy habits. My very lean son's problem was cured as he lost his babyfat. This may not be the case with your daughter, but if she is not already lean, this may a catalyst for healthy change.

Good Luck!
Jen

My son was 2 yrs old when his tonsils & adenoids were removed. He used to snore all the time and was tired during the day. They thought that he had sleep apnea at one point. The surgery has cured this & he is rarely sick now also. He did incredibly well after the surgery. The lack of sleep or interrupted sleep can lead to poor concentration in school.

I have known many people, (including children) who have stopped snoring after using the neti pot.
The neti pot is a nasal wash from the yoga cleansing system that has been around for thousands of years.
It is a little pot, either ceramic or stainless steel that uses warm water and non-iodized sea salt.
There is kind of a trick to use it and not feel like you are getting water up your nose but it works.
You have to tilt your head over almost horizontally so the warm water will wash over the septum of one nostril, lift your head up and have something reading to blow your nose then do the other side.
My husband use to get sinus infections constantly.
We were also buying all kind of prescriptions and over the counter drugs to assist, (none worked that well).
After the neti pot no more sinus infections and as well an end to his snoring!
I am having a class at my studio, D.'s School of Yoga, in Grand Prairie, to show how to use the neti pot as a free event this Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
If interested come on by!

I guess it has mixed results, but I know that I stopped getting what seemed like constant strep throat when I had my tonsils removed. For whatever it's worth, I've also read articles about studies that say that kids who aren't sleeping well (snoring can be a sign of apnea, though I'm sure not always) can exhibit signs of hyperactivity, which improves when they have their tonsils out and sleep better. Certainly not a guarantee that any of this applies to your daughter, but I think makes it worth not just letting it go. Good luck with your decision!

H.,

I tutored a girl once who had her tonsils out in the middle of the year. It helped her sleep better and snore less. The mom said things were great now. She was ten at the time.

However, the thing I saw from the other end was a 5th grader who learned to play the system. They home schooled, so the girl got to take breaks and naps for a long time because she wasn't sleeping well. After the surgery and recovery. Things got better, but the habits were ingrained in her after years. She was able to manipulate mom into allowing her the same breaks and naps as before, even though she was sleeping better at night. She ended up with lots of play time, incomplete schoolwork, and a frustrated tutor.

Whatever you decide, take care of the problem now, before these problems become a lifestyle.

I certainly hope that this surgery wasn't suggested just to cure the snoring!!!
One of my daughters snored also from a very young age, but then also developed a history of sinusitis, tonsilitis and constant illnees, which after a number of years was considered "chronic" and therefore reason to perform a tonsilectomy/adenoidectomy. She healed well from the surgery, no problems whatsoever. Not long after I noticed that she resumed snoring, and continues to at almost 20 years of age. She doesn't get sick nearly as often after the surgery but she still snores. I have never heard of surgery being suggested just because of snoring, that makes me a little nervous and as I said, it didn't stop it for my daughter. Perhaps it is caused by allergies? I would sure get a 2nd opinion before I put a 6 year old under general anesthesia.

My daughter had surgery in May. Her quality of life has been amazing. We used Dr. Coffey and she was great.
My daughter snored, constant stuffy nose and really bad sleep apnea. It got worse towards the end.
Pray about it b/c that's what I did and I know it was the best thing for her.

have the ent schedule a sleep study.. im betting theres obstruction and possibly apnea.. my daughter who is almost 3 had her tonsils and adenoids out at age 18 months.. life has been much better since then!!

Good advice from many.

I'm voting for a second opinion, a sleep study if you can afford it, but don't be afraid to go for the surgery. It can really help.

If she's snoring because of allergies, look into the Neti pot recommended by others, but surgery still might be helpful. Best to do it while she's young - it's much harder on adults.

Research is the key! Experimenting with different options helps.

A.