Perfil epidemiológico e as repercussões sistêmicas dos respiradores orais infantis do Centro Universitário do Estado do Pará

Abstract

A mouth breather is defined as any individual who breathes through the mouth as a result of pathological adaptation. The nasal cavity is important in respiratory physiology, influencing facial growth and the development of dental occlusion. Therefore, it is known that mouth breathing can cause several anatomical changes and its repercussions can impair the quality of life of patients with this syndrome, which especially affects the pediatric age group. Within this context, the present study aims to characterize the clinical profile of mouth breathing patients treated at the Medical Specialty Center – CESUPA (CEMEC). The study has a descriptive, exploratory, cross-sectional, qualitative and quantitative character, carried out at the Centro de Especialidades Médicas do Cesupa with patients aged 2 to 14 years treated at the allergy and otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinics. The research was carried out by consulting the data contained in the patients' medical records and applying the OSA-18 questionnaire to assess quality of life and sleep disturbance. Data from 31 children were examined from August to September 2022. The mean age was 8.4 ± 2.7 years. 38.7% of the patients were female and 61.2% were male. Of the patients analyzed, twenty-three (74%) had an established diagnosis of rhinitis. On physical examination, the most prevalent alteration was nasal turbinate hypertrophy, present in 64.5% of patients. The impairment of the impact on quality of life represented by the mean OSA-18 score presented the moira in the sample with a small impact on quality of life, 58.1%, moderate in 32.3%, and large in 9.7%. The study allowed us to conclude that mouth breathing has an effect on the maintenance of the individual's well-being, and requires public health initiatives. We understand that the quality of life is compromised, as we found that the categories most affected by the OSA - 18 questionnaire are: "Concern of those responsible" followed by "emotional suffering" and "physical suffering" and need intervention.