Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is an obstructive breathing disorder that occurs during sleep. "It is characterised by intermittent upper airway obstruction resulting from hypertrophy of structures like tonsils or adenoids or collection of fat as in obesity". Most commonly OSA is diagnosed by the history from an observer who witnessed periods of apnoea. In children, common daytime symptoms of OSA include hyperactivity, failure to thrive, poor school performance and behavioural problems.
Most commonly the obstruction occurs at the base of the tongue or the soft palate from hypertrophic tonsils or anatomical anomalies that narrow the aperture of the nasopharyngeal airway, allowing the tongue to be displaced posteriorly. The final diagnosis of OSA is made by POLYSOMNOGRAPHY which needs whole night recording, so for practical purposes diagnosis based on symptoms. Common daytime symptoms are…
