Back-to-School Health Includes an ENT Check

You go shopping for clothes and books and book bags and pencils and erasers and even laptops - but do you run through a "health check list" as you get your child ready for school??  Doctors from the American Academy of Otolaryngology want you to think about the following health issues that can really impact your child's school performance:

• Pediatric Obstuctive Sleep Apnea and other Childhood Sleep Disorders - with escalating rates of obesity and with structural issues like enlarged tonsills, SDB (Sleep Disordered Breathing)  is not uncommon and it can have a significant impact on a child's educational experience.  The student can struggle with daytime sleepiness, aggravated attention-deficit disorder, behavioral issues, bed wetting and even slowed growth - all due to poor sleep.  What indicates SDB? Restless sleep, labored breathing, and loud snoring - regardless of sleep position.  In severe cases you can hear gasping and snorting noises.
• Hearing loss - If your child is a big listener to an ipod or MP3 player then he or she is a candidate to develop a hearing problem.  Hearing deficit or loss can obviously impact your child's ability to perform well at school and even to fit in socially.  Most kids have their hearing evaluated during a pediatric visit in their early years, so a hearing loss that is associated with heavy headphone use that crops up later, might be easily missed.
• Facial sports injuries
• Chronic allergies/sinusitis - can also impact a child's performance at school so picking up early symptoms can help to avoid problems at school. 

So while sending your kids off to school fully outfitted is part of the fun and joy of being a parent, making sure they have certain health conditions identified and treated can mean a successful year at school!!