If you are concerned that you might be experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea, there are several ways to diagnose the problem. If you’re concerned that you might be suffering from sleep apnea, you might be interested in learning more about the condition and possible treatments. This article will discuss some of the causes and treatments of sleep apnea, as well as a few tips to help you get started.
Symptoms
Children can experience a variety of sleep apnea symptoms, from frequent choking fits to overactive behavior and even trouble paying attention in school. If your child exhibits several of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor for a sleep study. If you suspect your child has sleep apnea, you may also want to watch for other risk factors, including a lack of attention or poor concentration, crankiness, or other behavioral issues.
Besides the loud snoring, sleep apnea may lead to a sore throat, dry mouth, and sometimes even a choking sensation. While sleeping, your body does not get the necessary amount of oxygen it needs, causing your body to produce more inflammation. Inflammation is a natural response to damage caused by bacteria, toxins, heat, and lack of oxygen. Lack of sleep can also result in mood swings, irritability, and even depression.
If you experience one or more of these symptoms at least twice a week, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which your throat muscles relax and block the airway during sleep. The result is that your brain responds to this decreased oxygen level by waking you up. It may happen as often as 200 times a night, with each pause lasting for a fraction of a second or more. Symptoms of sleep apnea can include excessive daytime sleepiness and early morning headaches.
Causes
The causes of sleep apnea vary from person to person. For some, it may be due to anatomical development. For others, it may be due to hormone imbalances. In some cases, the soft tissues of the throat or tongue may block the airway and prevent airflow. Another cause is sleeping on the back, which can reduce the airflow and interfere with breathing. A variety of treatments are available to treat sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common cause. This disorder involves repeated episodes of blockage of the upper airway during sleep. The chest muscles and diaphragm work harder to unblock the airway. Once the obstruction is cleared, breathing resumes. The condition often leads to snoring and choking sounds. Both types of sleep apnea can interfere with sound sleep.
Obesity can also contribute to sleep apnea. Obesity affects the soft tissue in the throat and mouth, which can block the airway during sleep. People with obesity tend to have a higher risk of developing sleep apnea than those with healthy weight. An additional 10% of weight increases the risk of developing OSA by six times, with the effects diminishing as the patient gets older.
Although sleep apnea affects the quality of a person’s life, the condition can also have severe implications on their health. Not only can it leave someone feeling drained and lethargic during the day, but it can lead to serious illnesses like high blood pressure and heart disease. It can even lead to brain strokes. Symptoms of sleep apnea can be difficult to recognize because people can also feel choking and gasping when they wake up.
Treatments
There are various treatments for sleep apnea, ranging from oral rehydration to surgical procedures. Surgical procedures should be considered only when other methods fail. Different types of procedures include jaw repositioning, tissue shrinkage, implants, nerve stimulation, and tracheostomy, which is a new airway. Before undergoing any type of treatment, you should consult with a qualified medical practitioner.
Symptomatic treatment for obstructive sleep apnea may include weight loss, avoiding heavy meals during the night, and limiting alcohol consumption. Another effective treatment is sleep position training, which involves sleeping on one side to promote continuous breathing. Another treatment is stopping smoking, which has been proven to reduce the severity of apnea. If these methods don’t work, you may have to consider more sophisticated treatments.
Surgical treatments for sleep apnea include the use of hypoglossal nerve stimulation devices. Patients with mild to moderate apneas can have a small device placed into their chest that is turned on and off by the patient. The device monitors breathing during sleep and stimulates the hypoglossal nerve to keep the airway open. Patients who find this type of treatment to be successful will experience fewer side effects than patients who do not.
CPAP therapy is another option. Continuous positive airway pressure is a breathing device that works in a similar way to a PAP machine. A face mask is attached to the device, which pushes air into the patient’s airway. The device is programmed to release a specific amount of air pressure during sleep to reduce the chance of central apneas. This procedure is considered a gold standard treatment for OSA.
Main cause of Sleep Apnea
One of the main causes of sleep apnea is cigarette smoking. Smoking causes a disorder in the upper airway that blocks the passage of oxygen to the brain. The result is fragmented sleep and less restful sleep. Smokers spend more time in lighter sleep stages and less time in deep sleep than non-smokers. These sleep disturbances can cause a host of problems and are not only disruptive to your sleep but also to your mental health.
Tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars irritate the airway walls and cause inflammation. The inflammation swells the bronchial tubes and produces mucus. This narrowing of airways causes the sufferer to have a difficult time breathing. Smoking also exacerbates other respiratory illnesses, such as asthma and chronic bronchitis. In addition, tobacco products can cause sleep apnea in smokers who are already suffering from respiratory diseases.
Another reason smoking can worsen OSA is due to withdrawal from nicotine at night. Studies have shown that smokers are four times more likely than non-smokers to feel unrested and spend less time in deep sleep. Despite the negative health effects of cigarette smoking, a recent study found that smoking causes more than just sleep apnea. Cigarette smoking affects nearly all body systems, including the brain, heart, lungs, and immune system.
Physical attributes
Although the gold standard for diagnosing sleep apnea is still a polysomnogram, portable monitors may be used to test for this condition. These tests measure several physiologic parameters of the brain while the patient is asleep. Some of the typical test parameters include eye movement observations, electroencephalogram, chest wall monitors, nasal and oral air flow measurements, and oximetry to measure oxygen saturation.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is more common in men than in women. Men with larger tongues and shorter lower jaws are at a higher risk of developing the disorder. Some research has found a correlation between body weight and the likelihood of developing the disorder. However, there is currently no definitive proof of the relationship between various factors and OSA. For now, it is believed that obesity and gender are the major risk factors.
Other symptoms of OSA include grinding teeth, waking up during sleep, and restlessness. While not as easily recognized as snoring, OSA is often associated with soft tissues in the mouth that relax during sleep and block the airway. As a result, when sleep-deprived individuals try to wake up, their muscles are jerked awake by involuntary reflexes. People with OSA often kick their legs in order to wake up.
Common diseases associated with sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a serious disorder in which breathing is interrupted repeatedly during sleep. It has many health consequences. People who suffer from sleep apnea have a higher risk of developing hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes. It can also lead to decreased concentration, memory problems, and a general lack of alertness. People with sleep apnea are more likely to be involved in car accidents than others.
Surgical treatments for sleep apnea include removal of the adenoids and tonsils, or insertion of plastic rods into the soft palate. These surgical treatments can make the condition worse, however, and can even cause side effects such as bedwetting, night terrors, and behavioral problems. However, they are not always the best solution for apnea. Patients with milder forms of sleep apnea may not require surgery.
Men and women are equally susceptible to sleep apnea. It is more common in older people than in younger people. According to the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort study, prevalence of sleep apnea peaks in the 50s and plateaus around 60 years. Other factors that increase the risk of sleep apnea include excessive weight and obesity. Some people may have structural abnormalities in the upper airway, such as a low hanging soft palate or a large neck.
People with central sleep apnea often have a high risk of developing serious diseases, such as heart disease and stroke. The condition is usually a precursor to an underlying medical problem. If left untreated, sleep apnea may lead to a host of other complications, such as diabetes and heart disease. These complications may require specialized medical treatment and require ongoing monitoring to prevent serious consequences.
