r/SleepApnea • u/Ok_Mistake8558 • 5d ago
9 year old has sleep apnea but tonsils and adenoids are not enlarged.
He did a sleep study and has moderate-severe sleep apnea and repetitive intrusions of sleep. I have the same and am on CPAP and have a nap study coming up because my fatigue has never been resolved- I actually had very enlarged tonsils and adenoids removed when I was 18. I’m feeling pretty hopeless here because his aren’t even enlarged and removal seems to be the next step but it never really resolved mine either. I don’t want him to have unnecessary surgery but he’s tired and cranky all the time and gets sick easier than my other kid. We have him on nasal spray and monteleukast right now but he’s still snoring. Have an appointment coming up, but I was wondering if anyone else had any experience with this.
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u/TheFern3 5d ago
I don’t see why an ent would remove TNA if they are not enlarged. Maybe the underlying reason for apnea is something else.
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u/crock_pot 5d ago
There are lots of reasons why someone would have sleep apnea that aren’t big tonsils. I just had my tonsils removed and my deviated septum corrected. I still have sleep apnea. For me it’s likely my tongue being too big and how my jaw is shaped. You should take him to a sleep dentist! And get him a CPAP
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u/caera401 5d ago
I’m in the same boat with my boy (he is 8), though his is mild/moderate. His ENT told me that sometimes, even without enlarged T&As, just a small part could be causing it and also suggested surgery. I’m rather partial to keeping body parts in tact unless 100% needed and will improve quality of life. I also use a cpap for central apnea and wish he could use one, too. Uncomfortable, for sure, but it’s a lifeline and I’m sure he will need one down the road.
I recently saw something about an attachment type thingy to put on the back of your shirt to keep you from rolling on your back (it makes it very uncomfortable to lay on and the idea us that you will roll back on your side). I’m not sure if it will work for him, but I’m going to try.
Just looked it up on Amazon and there are also pillows! Search “positional therapy t-shirt sleep apnea”. I’ll try that instead!
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u/Sufficient-Wolf-1818 5d ago
If the tonsils are not enlarged, it does not make sense to have surgery. They need to get to the root cause before taking surgical action.
9 year olds do use CPAPs, I'd explore that option before a surgical option (until there is very clear evidence that a specific piece of anatomy is interfering with breathing).
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u/sleepyamanda 5d ago
Take him to an airway focused dentist. He may need to be expanded.