Sleep Apnea

           Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder in which a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep. If the condition is untreated breathing stops several times during the sleep. So, the brain does not get enough oxygen for proper functioning. Apnea is the period in which breathing is paused, and it generally lasts from few seconds to a minute and mat repeat 5 to 30 times in a single hour.

 

          Sleep apnea is very dangerous if untreated, it can increase risk of getting heart attack, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression.

Types;

           The three main types of sleep apnea;

1. Central apnea;

             During this type of sleep apnea the respiratory control center in the brain functions improperly, and it fails to give signals to inhale.

2. Obstructive apnea;

            It is most common form of sleep apnea. It occurs when the soft tissues in throat collapse resulting in the blockage of airways.

3. Mixed apnea and complex sleep apnea;

           Some people may experience the mixture of both forms. When obstructive sleep apnea becomes more severe the episodes of central apnea may start.

Symptoms;

- Loud and chronic snoring

- Choking, snorting, or gasping during sleep

- Long pauses in breathing

- Daytime sleepiness, no matter how much time you spend in bed

- Restless sleep

- Daytime fatigue

- Insomnia

- Headaches        

- Irritability

- Poor memory and difficulty concentrating

- Breathing through mouth instead of nose

- Mood and personality changes, such as anxiety, depression

Risk factors;

- Overweight

- Gender (Male have more chances to get disease)

- Related to someone who has sleep apnea

- Over the age of 65

- Smoking and use of sleeping pills, alcoholic drinks

Diagnosis;

           Sleep apnea can be diagnosed by MRI, physical monitoring, sleep studies such as sleep apnea test called a polysomnogram.

Treatment;

           Treatments generally starts with changes in daily routine such as avoiding alcohol, smoking, sedatives etc.

1. Medicines;  

           In this method some medicines are used which facilitate the breathing.

2. Oral appliances; 

           This technique is usually successful in patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea. In this method mouthpiece are used to keep the air passage open.

3. Continuous positive airway pressure;  

           This method is used to treat moderate to severe sleep apnea, an automatic positive airway pressure (APAP) device or Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is used in this method. It is less expensive, but many patients feel it un-comfortable.

4. Surgery; 

           In surgical treatment surgeons may remove tonsils, adenoids, or excess tissue at the back of the throat or inside the nose, or they may try to enlarge the airways by modifying the jaws.

Some tips for prevention;

1. Sleep on your side not on back, it will facilitate breathing, otherwise there are chances that tongue and soft tissues can block the airway.

2. Try to open your nasal passages by using nasal sprays, nasal dilators to help breathing through nose.

3. Make a routine of regular exercise.

4. Try to use the comfortable pillows which give you the appropriate body posture resulting ease in breathing.