We Should Not Wait For A Sleep Study

Our son Zayzay always have cough and colds, keep coming almost every month, just like today for almost 2 or 3 days now. We decided to see a pulmonologist so that even tuberculosis issue will be given an end to our worries.


So we found one who seems to be the perfect medical practitioner for our child, after so many doctors who checked him. And we told her everything, his health history, from he was a baby who snores loudly, and so on. And so she is convinced it is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) for all the symptoms of it are present with our child.

But this, she said, still have to be referred to her most trusted ENT doctor who will reconfirm the OSA. She said she worked with this ENT several times and had their last team-up with a patient whom they done an operation, removing the tonsils.

She also added that sleep study is not necessary at this time or we are not supposed to wait for the study be done or something more serious might happen to the child. We should not wait for a sleep study, she said.

By this time, it is not yet final that the operation will really be necessary, but the pulmo-pedia looked at it as very much necessary, although she said, the ENT doctor will have the final say about it.

Let's see what will the ENT doctor will have to say once he see Zayzay. If he will find operation is unnecessary then it's good. But if not, we have to work more harder to raise the funds for the operation.

More painful to parents

We all know that when it comes to our children, we will do everything just to see them in good condition, with regards to their basic needs, health, school, etc. And it is very painful to parents to see them bad.

With Zyruz's health condition, the doctors wants to be sure what really causes his loud snoring and if it has really something to do with sleeping apnea.

The doctors recommendation is x-ray of the neck portion and sleep test.

Sleep test alone, in one and the only hospital who has facilities here in Cebu will cost us about 20,000 Pesos (or an equivalent to USD $415.00)

And we can't find that said amount to bring him to that hospital. We can't do anything, so far, as the economy is getting worst. The income I earn is just as enough for our basic needs.

It's so painful to see Zyruz in his condition as he sleeps. The chocking time, the untimely waking-up as he cries, as he cries for help. We can't do something to help him, but to make sure he will not again stay longer in that position. Only to put him on his sides. To monitor his position in his sleeps, and that's all.

So far, that is all we can do to help him. We have nothing to make sure his condition will get better or the problem disappears. Nothing, only when help comes.

So what is this Sleep Apnea?

Sleep Apnea is a disruption of breathing while asleep. You can tell that a person has apnea when he experience choking or gasping for air while sleeping. It is somewhat the stoppage of breathing for 10 seconds or more. Pauses in breathing can occur 30 times or more per hour or over a hundred each night.

People who have sleep apnea usually don't know that they have it. Only their sleep partners can notice as they are usually disturbed by the loud noise they produces - snore.

The common symptom of sleep apnea is snoring. It is the sound that produces by the nasal passages when we sleep.

In addition to continuous loud snoring, other symptoms of sleep apnea, mostly in babies are:

poor weight gain;
mouth breathing;
enlarged tonsils and adenoids;
restless sleep;
excessive daytime sleepiness;
behavior problems which includes aggressive behavior and hyperactivity.


When someone has sleep apnea, his throat collapses during sleep, blocking the airway and preventing air from getting to the lungs.

Sleep Apnea can be fatal if not treated. It increases the risk of:

heart attacks;
strokes;
high blood pressure;
decreased productivity at work;
decreased attentiveness at home;
sudden death.