When our older son Max was 3 years old, he faced health challenges with his breathing at night. He was not sleeping well. He was breathing through his mouth, not his nose, snoring loudly, and would regularly stop breathing, wake up with a start, then inhale a deep breath and fall asleep again.
This pattern in the medical world is labeled “obstructive sleep apnea.” It is characterized by repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction that occur during sleep. The medical route of caring for it would have been to have his tonsils and adenoids removed, and/or use a machine with a nose mask that he would need to attach each night.
As chiropractors, we decided to leave surgery as a last resort route, knowing that when health challenges appear, we need to address their cause, not just their symptoms.
First (and most importantly from our perspective) we continued to address any subluxations in his spine, that may have been affecting his nervous system and his body’s innate potential for his swollen tonsils to heal.
Second, we addressed any irritants in his external environment that may have been triggering a challenge in breathing. This included a regular thorough cleaning of his room, and new insulation for the floor and windows in his room. It also included the replacement of a feather duvet with a cotton comforter, and the replacement of old pillows with new foam ones.
We also changed his sleeping surface. We replaced his old mattress with a new one made from bio-based foam, that is non-allergenic, dust and mite free, and non-gas emitting.
The next winter, and each winter since, Max has been sleeping peacefully and quietly. And his immune system, and his innate potential to heal is strong. He has the least colds per winter out of all of our family. Way to go Max!
