The risks of undiagnosed sleep apnea include learning problems, behavioral problems and failure to grow. Obstructive sleep apnea can also cause bed-wetting, excessive daytime sleepiness and problems as simple as fussiness. Usually a parent will see a combination of symptoms and not one by itself. Children with allergies suffer from sleep apnea more than other children. Allergies affect eight to 12 percent of children, and researchers say that 60 percent of that group suffers from some sort of apnea.
Allergies cause swelling of the lining of the nose and excess mucus production.
This causes the passageway through the nose to become narrowed, making it harder to breathe. Sleep apnea can also roll over into adulthood causing heart attacks, strokes, impotence, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and heart disease. In addition, obstructive sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness that may result in accidents, lost productivity and interpersonal relationship problems. The severity of the symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe.