Question
My child frequently snores at night, starting since one month old. Initially, it was due to a cold with a runny nose. Although the cold has cleared up, the snoring problem persists. What treatment methods are available?
Answer
Snoring is primarily caused by chronic inflammation that results from an incomplete treatment of an acute inflammation in the throat, leading to recurrent episodes of inflammation and subsequent tissue growth and narrowing of the pharynx. During sleep at night, factors such as the posterior movement of the tongue root, sagging of the soft palate, and an elongated uvula can contribute to snoring. Additionally, deviated nasal septum, hypertrophy of the inferior turbinate, nasal polyps, nasopharyngeal tumors, adenoid hypertrophy, and tonsillar hypertrophy may also cause snoring. Conditions such as congenital micrognathia, macroglossia, soft palate paresis, and acromegaly can also lead to snoring. To completely cure snoring, it is necessary to remove the lesions in the throat or nose and ensure that the pharynx is widened and nasal ventilation is normal.