OSAS (Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome)
OSAS indicates brief and repeated interruption of breathing during sleep, causing to awake and to repeated interruptions of rest. It reduces the supply of oxygen, induces functional overload of the cardiovascular system and cerebral suffering. In adults it is related to a greater chance of developing arterial hypertension, heart attack and cerebral stroke.
In children, this syndrome is often associated with tonsil hypertrophy and / or obesity; frequent nocturnal awakenings create metabolic cortisol excess production or alterations. Elevated cortisol levels reduce growth hormone secretion and possibly limit skeletal growth and craneo-facial development.
