OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA
A disorder first explained in 1965 is a sleep disruption in which the person stops breathing for at least 10 seconds each hour during sleep. The occurrence of halts in breathing is called apneas, which literally means "without breath".
An apnea is a period during which breathing either terminates or is notably reduced. It is caused by winding down the throat muscles; the soft tissue at the back of the throat subsides and closes, resulting in choked airways. Several types of sleep apnea prevail, but the most familiar type is “obstructive sleep apnea”.
The most distinguishable sign of obstructive sleep apnea is snoring. Anyone can develop obstructive sleep apnea, although it mostly affects middle-aged and older adults and people who are obese.
An apnea is a period during which breathing either terminates or is notably reduced. It is caused by winding down the throat muscles; the soft tissue at the back of the throat subsides and closes, resulting in choked airways. Several types of sleep apnea prevail, but the most familiar type is “obstructive sleep apnea”.
The most distinguishable sign of obstructive sleep apnea is snoring. Anyone can develop obstructive sleep apnea, although it mostly affects middle-aged and older adults and people who are obese.
A symptom is something the patient experiences and reveals, while a sign is something other people, such as the medical practitioner recognize. For example, an ache may be a symptom while a rash may be a sign.
1) Patients may feel exceedingly sleepy during the day, sleep is discomposed, there is customarily snoring which may be noisy, during sleep there will also be periods of silence where no breathing exists and then gasps.
1) Patients may feel exceedingly sleepy during the day, sleep is discomposed, there is customarily snoring which may be noisy, during sleep there will also be periods of silence where no breathing exists and then gasps.
2) Less frequently, the sick person may maybe distressed from insomnia, morning headaches, moodiness and anxiety, poor concentration, irritability, and depression.
3) Blood pressure time and again advance (hypertension), weight may scale-up, increased urination and waking up at night to urinate (nocturia).
4) Some sufferers complain of heartburn.
5) A remarkable number of patients wake up during the night with a dry mouth/throat.
5) A remarkable number of patients wake up during the night with a dry mouth/throat.
6) Uncontrolled daytime drowsiness.
7) Morning headaches.
8) Weakened emotional or psychological functioning.
You Should Do the Following Lifestyle Changes
Patients suffering from sleep apnea might find these lifestyle changes beneficial:
1. Don’t sleep on your back but on your side. Special pillows can help balance this posture.
2. If you smoke, discontinue.
3. Do not drink alcohol within 4-6 hours of bedtime.
4. If you are obese, lose weight. Even a small mass of weight loss may progress sleep apnea manifestations.
Treatment for OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA
The cure for obstructive sleep apnea is determined by the seriousness of the state. Treatment options comprise:
Breathing devices: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices are the most frequently used therapy for medium-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea. However this mechanism can take some time to get used to, they are highly effective cures.
Dental devices: Dental devices, also called oral appliances, are custom-made mouthpieces that help position the lower jaw and tongue while sleeping. Dental devices may be useful for minor cases of obstructive sleep apnea.
Surgery: Various surgical methodologies may be advised for very grave cases of obstructive sleep apnea but there is restricted documentation for their efficiency.
Causes for OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA
In patients suffering from sleep apnea, the airways become temporarily obstructed or choked while sleeping, and minimizing air pressure and lessening air from flowing normally into the lungs. Some of the physical characteristics of the face, skull, and neck can influence the dimension of the airway.
Large Neck - A large neck is a menace for sleep apnea. While some people’s necks are innately larger than others, being flabby or obese can grant to having a large neck.
Facial and Skull features - Structural irregularity in the face and skull give rise to many cases of sleep apnea. These include:
Stunted or diminishing lower jaw or chin
Protruding lower jaw
Deficient upper jaw
Bloated tongue
Bloated tonsils
OTHER ADVERSE EFFECTS ON HEALTH DUE TO SLEEP APNEA
Sleep apnea is affiliated with increasing occurrences of several medical conditions, besides cardiac and movement. The connection between apneas and these ailments are not clear.
Diabetes: Extreme cases of obstructive sleep apnea are associated with type 2 diabetes.
Obesity: When it comes to sleep apnea and obesity, it is not clear which trait is responsible for the other. For instance, being fat is often a threatening factor and possibly a cause of sleep apnea, but it is also likely that sleep apnea raises the risk for obesity.
Asthma: Sleep apnea may aggravate asthma indicators and hamper the efficiency of asthma treatment. Curing the apnea may help asthma reduce.
Seizures, epilepsy, and other nerve disorders: There may be a link between seizures and obstructive sleep apnea, mainly in older adults. Some findings have found treatment of obstructive sleep apnea may contribute in the control of refractory seizures.
Headaches: Sleep disorders, including apnea, may be the underlying causes of some severe headaches. In some patients with both chronic headaches and apnea, treating the sleep disarray may heal the headache.
High-risk pregnancies: Sleep apnea may aggravate the risk of pregnancy hurdles, inclusive of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure.
Eye disorders: glaucoma, floppy eyelid syndrome, optic neuropathy conjunctivitis, dry eye, and several other infections and irritations.
Around two to four percent of adults are believed to have obstructive sleep apnea. It is most commonly diagnosed in middle aged males. Early detection and treatment is the only way this condition can be controlled. Hence, people suffering from this disease should be treated well in time.