Posted on 01/21/2023 1:03:01 PM PST by ConservativeMind
A simple nasal spray significantly reduced snoring and breathing difficulties in children and halved the number needing to have their tonsils removed, according to a new study.
The research found a saline (salt water) nasal spray was just as effective as an anti-inflammatory steroid nasal spray at easing sleep disordered breathing in children after six weeks of treatment.
The findings stated both nasal sprays cleared symptoms while asleep in about 40 percent of cases and those assessed by a surgeon as needing their tonsils and/or adenoids removed was reduced by half. The randomized-controlled "MIST" trial of the sprays involved 276 children, aged 3-12 years.
Tonsillectomy is the most common pediatric elective surgery for children.
Dr. Alice Baker said children typically waited more than a year in the public system for surgery to remove tonsils and adenoids, prompting a need to look for an alternative treatment for sleep disordered breathing. Some children may also be having their tonsils and adenoids out unnecessarily, she said.
"Nasal sprays work by cleaning the nose and/or reducing inflammation not just in the nose but all the way down the back of the throat to the adenoids and tonsillar tissue to alleviate the symptoms," Dr. Baker said.
Snoring and breathing difficulties during sleep affect about 12 percent of children and can cause significant long-term issues impacting cognitive function, behavior and cardiovascular health.
Professor Kirsten Perrett said the study found a substantial number of children with sleep disordered breathing could initially be managed by their GP and may not require referral to specialist services as currently recommended.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Roger that. Thanks.
I grew up getting a lot of colds and sore throats. Sometimes my tonsils were so swollen I could barely swallow, felt like I had golf balls in my throat. My tonsils got full of holes with a white/yellow substance, that sometimes I would cough up and it smelled awful. But our GP told my parents I didn’t need my tonsils out. it just wasn’t done so much anymore and would give me anti-biotics and codeine for the pain.
A few days after graduating HS, I got really, really sick and my parents took me to an ENT. He was shocked, saying he was concerned I might go septic; the infection was that bad.
I was admitted to the hospital the next day and had a tonsillectomy. Best thing as I stopped getting sick all the time and wished they had been taken out years earlier.
So did you get to eat ice cream afterwards?
No ice cream. That causes phlegm that can make you cough. Fruit flavored popsicles and ginger ale
Our son’s ENT wasn’t a big proponent of removal but he said he has a handful of patients that could benefit and our son was one of them. He was concerned with all the medications, tubes etc. that he recommended it.
Glad my folks didn’t know that when I had my tonsils out. I had all the ice cream a kid could want (and popsicles).
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