Snoring: Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment

Snoring is a common symptom of airway obstruction, which is included in the spectrum of sleep-related breathing disorders. The manifestation may occur alone (primary snoring) or in association with other signs and symptoms such as rhinorrhea, hyponasal speech, cough, hypopnea, and sleep apnea. Furthermore, snoring in the paediatric population is increasing and has been identified as a primary health concern by the American Academy of Paediatrics. This increase has been associated with a rise in co-morbid disease processes such as asthma and allergies, lifestyle changes and increasing changes and increasing obesity in the paediatric population. This book examines the clinical picture, aetiology, diagnosis and treatment of snoring in paediatric patients. A thorough review of the literature data on the efficacy of the different types of intraoral devices used in obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (OSAH) is also assessed, as well as the two common urological consequences in OSA patients, namely Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and nocturia. Other topics discussed in this book include the underlying etiologic factors associated with sleep disordered breathing (SDB), a review of diagnostic studies that have been used to assess upper airway anatomy in patients with sleep-disordered breathing and a discussion of a multi-disciplinary approach taken to address the interaction of etiological components associated with SDB, to identify the causative agent(s) in specific individuals seeking definitive resolution.