If you’re a new parent, then chances are you’ve already spent some time searching online for symptoms and home remedies to ear, nose, and throat problems. And if your son or daughter has started snoring recently, then you might be wondering what that could mean for his or her health. Well, the good news is you don’t necessarily have anything to worry about. Snoring might annoy any nearby siblings (or even sleep-deprived parents), but it’s also one of the most common ENT problems in young people, in addition to hearing loss and sinus infections.

Snoring is a very common issue in children and adolescents. About 12% of all kids (and yes, that means girls too) will start snoring at some point in their childhood. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. However, if you’re still concerned, there are occasionally other health issue related to snoring in children.

Up to 3% of children will not only start snoring, but also develop Sleep Disordered Breathing at night. ENT Doctors call the negative side effects of disrupted sleep caused by breathing difficulties at night sleep disordered breathing. Sometimes, that manifests as Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a common disorder wherein the airway becomes obstructed during sleep.

The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are fatigue and prolonged drowsiness during the daytime. If you believe your son or daughter might be suffering from sleep apnea, then contact a nearby ENT doctor in your area.

Something else to watch out for — children with enlarged tonsils are four times as likely to exhibit some signs of sleep disordered breathing.