Sleep Apnea
There are three types of apnea with the most common being obstuctive sleep apnea. This as the name suggests is where the airway becomes obstructed usually when the soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses and closes during sleep.
Central sleep apnea is caused by the brain failing to signal the muscles to breathe but the airway is not blocked.
And finally there is mixed apnea which unsurprisingly is a combination of the other two types of apnea.
In this lens we'll look at the symptoms, treatment and some useful ways to lessen, if not cure, sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms
There are a number of other symptoms of sleep apnea including:
* Waking up with a sore or dry throat
* Occasionally waking up with a gasping or choking sensation
* Drowsiness during the day
* Headaches
* Forgetfulness
* Recurrent awakenings or insomnia
* Mood changes
* Loss of interest in sex
Treatment For Sleep Apnea
Simple changes in behaviour can often help sufferers. Things such as losing weight, stop smoking and reducing the amount of alcohol you drink will not only give you a general health boost but frequently it can reduce or even solve the problem.A change of sleeping position is another simple method of treating sleep apnea. By avoiding sleeping on your back and changing to a position where you can breathe more easily you will generally find an improvement in your condition. To help with changing your sleeping position you might want to check out the Sona Pillow
as it's specially contoured to keep your airway open and to stop snoring.If trying the above ideas doesn't bring about a change then it may be that you will require medical intervention. Before resorting to surgery you will probably find that doctors will recommend either continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or a dental device to keep your airway open.
Often doctors will refer you to a specialist dentist who can make a specifically designed dental device that will help by allowing your airway to remain open. However an increasingly popular option is the CPAP mask
. This is a mask which is worn over the nose and/or mouth and connected to a machine delivering a flow of air at a continous pressure which causes the airway to stay open.Should all else fail it may be necessary for your doctor to consider surgery. For example if you have a deviated nasal septum, markedly enlarged tonsils, or a small lower jaw with an overbite causing the throat to be abnormally narrow, surgery may be needed to correct sleep apnea.
CPAP Machines
The CPAP machine stops obstructive sleep apnea by delivering a stream of compressed air via a hose to a nasal pillow, nose mask or full-face mask, splinting the airway (keeping it open under air pressure) so that unobstructed breathing becomes possible, reducing and/or preventing apneas and hypopneas. It is important to understand, however, that it is the air pressure, and not the movement of the air, that prevents the apneas. When the machine is turned on, but prior to the mask being placed on the head, a flow of air comes through the mask. After the mask is placed on the head, it is sealed to the face and the air stops flowing. At this point, it is only the air pressure that accomplishes the desired result. This has the additional benefit of reducing or eliminating the extremely loud snoring that sometimes accompanies sleep apnea.The CPAP machine blows air at a prescribed pressure. The necessary pressure is usually determined by a sleep physician after review of a study supervised by a sleep technician. The tritrated pressure of air at which most (if not all) apneas and hypopneas have been prevented, is usually measured in centimetres of water (cm H2O). The pressure required by most patients with sleep apnea ranges between 6 and 14 cm H2O. A typical CPAP machine can deliver pressures between 4 and 20 cm H2O.
Some of the modern CPAP machines are now becoming quite sleek and far less intrusive. The Remstar Pro M Series CPAP with Humidifier
has the capability to give you the power of enhanced compliance reporting of apnea/hypopnea index, elevated leak levels, and snoring. It's the also one of the most versatile CPAP machines around. Useful Resources
- American Sleep Apnea Association
- The ASAA is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing injury, disability, and death from sleep apnea and to enhancing the well-being of those affected by this common disorder.
- National Sleep Foundation
- The National Sleep Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization, can provide you with brochures on sleep disorders and a list of accredited sleep disorder clinics.
- National Center on Sleep Disorders Research
- The National Center on Sleep Disorders Research includes current information about the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, fact sheets and links to other organizations to help you find more information. You also can take an interactive sleep quiz.
What's In The Wiki?
Sleep apnea (or sleep apnoea in British English) is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Each episode, called an apnea ( (ápnoia), from ?- (a-), privative, ?????? (pnéein), to breathe), lasts long enough so that one or more breaths are missed, and such episodes occur repeatedly throughout sleep. "Sleep Apnea 101 The standard definition of any apneic event includes a minimum 10 second interval between breaths, with either a neurological arousal (a 3-second or greater shift in EEG frequency, measured at C3, C4, O1, or O2), a blood oxygen desaturation of 3-4% or greater, or both arousal and desaturation. Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an overnight sleep test called a polysomnogram, or a "sleep study".
Clinically significant levels of sleep apnea are defined as five or more episodes per hour of any type of apnea (from the polysomnogram). There are three distinct forms of sleep apnea: central, obstructive, and complex (i.e., a combination of central and obstructive) constituting 0.4%, 84% and 15% of cases respectively.Mayo Clinic Discovers New Type Of Sleep Apnea Breathing is interrupted by the lack of respiratory effort in central sleep apnea; in obstructive sleep apnea, breathing is interrupted by a physical block to airflow despite respiratory effort. In complex (or "mixed") sleep apnea, there is a transition from central to obstructive features during the events themselves.
Regardless of type, the individual with sleep apnea is rarely aware of having difficulty breathing, even upon awakening. Sleep apnea is recognized as a problem by others witnessing the individual during episodes or is suspected because of its effects on the body (sequelae). Symptoms may be present for years (or even decades) without identification, during which time the sufferer may become conditioned to the daytime sleepiness and fatigue associated with significant levels of sleep disturbance.
Share Your Thoughts
Do you or someone you know suffer from sleep apnea?
Share your experiences with us or tell us what else you would like to see added to this lens to make it even more useful to you.
Thanks for visiting!
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Reply
- davidstillwagon davidstillwagon Apr 30, 2009 @ 3:49 pm
- I have had sleep apnea for years. It is a very serious condition that should be treated.
good lens! I'll give it a 5
