MENTAL HEALTH IMPACTS OF AIRWAY DISORDERS IN KIDS

When discussing the long-term health impacts of childhood airway disorders one area that cannot be emphasized enough is the mental health impacts airway disorders have on kids.

Childhood airway disorders can be seen in kids, as early as at birth, or in those diagnosed as being mouth breathing or having sleep-disorder breathing. Airway disorders can disrupt brain development causing attention, behavior, and learning issues for children. Sleep-disordered breathing in children can damage the prefrontal cortex of a child's brain causing hypoxic brain damage and lowering a child's IQ by as much as 10 points.

An individual with sleep-disordered breathing has extremely altered brain chemistry, changes in their metabolism and hormone balance, as well as their overall physical and mental wellbeing. If left untreated, it can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, acid reflux, and even fatal cancer.

Airway disorders in children often can be first identified through symptoms such as: