Sleep Apnea

 

Do you feel tired or sleepy on a work day? Or do you lack concentration & focus during an important meeting? Maybe these can be the symptoms of sleep apnea. It is a very common type of disease where people snore while sleeping and feel restlessness the next day and do the same without digging to the root cause.

So let’s break this down, Apnea means stopping of breath so putting this together sleep apnea is a condition where your breath stops while sleeping because of the relaxation of the soft muscles of your mouth against your throat which blocks the air to pass.

 

 

 

What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?

?     Loud snoring

?     Insomnia

?     Morning headaches

?     Feeling sleepy entire day

?     Trouble concentrating

?     Sexual disturbance

?     Dry mouth or sore throat upon awakening

And many more..

 

What are its types?

They are of two types:

(i) Obstructive sleep apnea - The soft palate in your upper respiratory tract rests against the throat and stops the air.

(ii) Central sleep apnea - Whereas in CSA sometimes the brain forgets to send signals to the breathing muscles to breathe which causes you to wake up so
metime in the night gasping for air though this is a different case.

 

What is that irritating sound while sleeping (Snoring)?

Soft tissues in the mouth, nose, and throat bump into each other and vibrate as air is driven through an obstruction. Rattling, snorting, or grumbling sounds are produced by the vibrations.

 

What can be the reasons behind this?

There can be several reasons for the disease such as fat deposition near the neck, smoking, nasal congestion, being overweight and being male too (Yes, Men are 2-3 times more likely to have sleep apnea than women).

 Are you relating?

Now, if you can relate to all the symptoms stated in this blog then it’s time for you to see a doctor. The doctor will first check your family history because this disease can be genetic too. Doctors do your sleep test which will include some tests like Polysomnogram (Basically an overnight sleep study). HSTs (home sleep tests) are also done instead of this.

 

Treatment  

In mild cases of sleep apnea normal suggestions are given by the doctor such as to lose some weight or stopping cigarettes and alcohols. But in severe cases doctors suggest mechanical therapies known as PAPs.

 

What is PAP therapy?

It is a therapy where a mask is put on your face which will send air inside your mouth to open the blockage of the airway which helps a lot in breathing at night. And you’ll  wake up with a fresh happy mood in the morning.

 

 

It is of two types:

(i) CPAP- (Continuous positive airway pressure)- As the name says continuous air meaning that this machine sends continuous air in your throat which opens up the soft tissue blockage and helps you breathe better. It comes with a mask, tubings (from machine to mask) and filters.

(ii) BIPAP- (Bilevel positive airway pressure)- The BIPAP has two airway pressures modes meaning it will open up the airway with high airway pressure during inhalation and will drop the pressure during exhalation resulting in a more relaxed sleep.

 

What are the effects of sleep apnea on a health if left untreated?

It can cause you a good deal of health related problems including high blood pressure, enlargement of muscle tissue in heart, stroke. Sleep apnea causes lowering of oxygen amount in blood and pressure on your heart which lastly causes heart attacks.

 

If you want to know more contact our Sleep Coach.