Breathing problems in four year old..

[adrianna1]

Hi

There's something wrong with my DS, but can't put my finger on it... his always had heavy breathing..(.basically you can hear him breath, but worse when he is il), since he was born, to the point people thought he was asthmatic, though was quickly dismissed by a doctor....

At the age of two, I went to my GP to complain about my son's heavy breathing, but he said it was probably something to do with his tonsils/andeloids or however you spell it, but he would outgrow it... So left it at that.

My DS is now four, and for the past three months he has been snoring...he has always been snoring...but he would snore and then stop breathing for like 20 seconds, but his chest is going in and out...like he is struggling to breathe..and then he regains his breath and the cycle starts all over again..what is this??? He hasn't done it for the past two days, but yesterday night he did it again.. I have told my GP, but they thought he must of congestion up the nose...so they have given me nose drips, allergy medicines...though they seem not to be working...

What could this be? Should I mention this to my HV as my GP are very reluctant to refer patients..

Is it sleep apnoea?

It sounds to me as though he may need a sleep study.

Ds has had several home sleep studies, where an oxygen monitor is left with us, and used overnight to show whether there are any dips in O2 levels.

it may be that he is having episodes of sleep apoea due to enlarged tonsils/adenoids.

Have you tried propping up the head of his bed so he is sleeping in a slightly more upright position?

My Ds was the same and told he had large adanoids....He is now 6 nearly 7 and seems to have grown out of it as he has grown however, he has a cold and it has come back...

He can sound like he is snoring when he is awake sometimes...

Meant to add ..I would be asking for further investigations into stopping breathing... Is there another doctor in your practise you could see ?

@hazeyjane and fusspot- sleep apnoea!!- I've looked this up and it exactly sounds like my DS.

@hazeyjane, I have done everything, position him slightly, make him more comfortable..but it seems to be something else..

What could my next steps be? As my DS keeps getting soar throats...he has a severe delay in speech, so cannot really tell me his throat s hurting him, unless he points it out to me... he always has that heaving breathing since he was born...

@starlight1234 all the GP's are very reluctant to refer my DS- would a health visitor be of any use???

Ask the GP to refer to a paediatrician.

Explain you are concerned it may be sleep apnoea - BTW I agree it sounds a like a strong possibility.

If they say no see another GP and ask them. But it needs further investigation.

He is probably getting a sore throat from sleeping with his mouth open, so it's is drying out.

Would you be able to record/film him sleeping to show the gp or paediatrician his breathing?

With ds, we were referred to the community nursing team by his paed. Then a nurse came to the house with the equipment.

Speak to your gp or paed and ask about a sleep study and possible ENT referral.

Ask them why not, ask them to document their reasons in the notes.

Then if no one will refer complain to the practice manager/ PALS. You may need to make yourself a PITA But that's ok.

@paintyfinegers- my DS is only saying 10 words..so I doubt it is the adenoids that is causing his severe delay .

Can't he just be referred to an ENT... instead of a paediatrician.

agree with paintyfingers

definitely get glue ear checked out alongside adenoids

Yes, your gp could refer to ent, but I thought you may have a paed as your ds is 'in the system'.

I heard on the TV few months ago that less referrals were happening to save money...

The reason I mentioned another GP is sometimes there are ones that refer easier or have a different specialty...I used to always take my son to one who specialised in peads...

I think you have to go in quite determined and say you are not happy with him symptoms and want him investigated further