Childhood snoring may hint cardiovascular troubles in kids

Adelaide, October 5: That innocuous sounding snore may carry a loud message, for snoring isn't just noisy, sometimes it is a sign of a serious medical problem needing immediate medical intervention.

A new study presented to the Australasian Sleep Association Conference in Adelaide on Oct. 3 suggests that even mild snoring in children may have adverse impacts on their cardiovascular functions.

In the joint study, researchers from Monash University and the University of Melbourne recruited 40 children, aged six to 10, all suffering from primary snoring – medically rated the mildest form of sleep disorder as it does not include sleep apnoea, which involves pauses in breathing during sleep.

Medical examinations revealed that all children had increased heart rates and their bodies were less able to vary heart rates during sleep.

Moreover, the effect of primary or mild snoring in children was similar to moderate or severe forms of sleep apnoea, Angela Jackman, a PhD student in neurophysiology at the Melbourne University highlighted.

"The children that just snored were just as affected in terms of their cardiovascular outcomes as kids with more severe sleep-disorder breathing, including higher heart rates and lower heart-rate variability," she said.

As snoring is a result of affected bodily mechanism, Jackman explained, "heart-rate variability measures the body's ability to regulate blood pressure as needed. When the variability is lower it's thought to be a bad thing because your body is less reactive to things that are happening in your system."

Medically, snoring is defined as ‘the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound, due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping.’

Though a fairly common and harmless condition, at times it can be a symptom of a serious sleep disorder known as sleep apnea. A person with sleep apnoea experiences irregular breathing during sleep.

While an allergic reaction, blocked nasal passage or being overweight are considered the most common causes behind an adult person’s snoring, childhood snoring is usually associated with enlarged or swollen tonsils.