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32 years
Dr. Zakia: my 2 yo girl snores while eating and sometimes while sleeping. Is there any problem? Note that she does not have any fever and the last vaccine was 2 months ago
Jun 15, 2015

Dr. Zakia Dimassi Pediatrics
The snorring during sleep, or snorting while eating, is a manifestation of nasal blockage, usually because of allergic rhinitis (allergy in the nose) which may be complicated by adenoid hypertrophy (enlarged adenoids). When the nasal cavity is blocked,be it secondary to swollen mucosal membranes associated with allergy, or because of enlarged adenoid tissue, swallowing becomes challenging. This is because normally when we swallow, we need our nasal cavity to be patent (open) to continue to breathe; with a blocked nasal cavity this is very difficult, hence the snorting in an attempt to simultaneously breathe and swallow through the mouth as a compensation.
During sleep, a person affected with allergic rhinitis and/or adenoid hypertrophy has severe nasal blockage and so is forced to breathe through their mouth, with subsequent snorring.
I recommend that you have your daughter checked by a pediatric ear-nose-throat specialist (also known as ORL) to assess for possible allergies or adenoid enlargement. The management will be determined according to the severity of the case.
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