Sleep apnea can often be cured by removing the tonsils and adenoids, leading to significant improvements in school and elsewhere, as reported by Dr. David Gozal of Tulane University in the September issue of the Pediatrics journal.
Apnea is the severest form of snoring. Narrow airways cause apnea sufferers to briefly interrupt their breathing as they sleep. This can result in dozens of brief "wake-ups" during the night, leaving them very tired the next day.
For children, symptoms of apnea could be hyperactivity, short attention spans, and aggressive behaviors, all of which can significantly impact their ability to learn.
According to Dr. Gozal, doctors have long known of a connection between tonsils and children's cognitive abilities. However, no significant clinical studies had isolated the connection, so he decided to investigage the fact that parents of children who had undergone tonsillectomies were reporting improved grades.
Dr. Gozal questioned parents of 300 children in the first grade, selecting only those who were performing at the bottom tenth of their class. He found evidence of sleep apnea in 54 children, 24 of whom later had their tonsils and adenoids removed.
One year later, almost all of the children who underwent the surgery improved an average of half a letter grade. The grades of children who were not treated experienced no change.
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