Sleep Apnea And Its Treatment

Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous condition in which the body briefly quits breathing while sleeping and then begins again. This can happen repeatedly throughout the night. If a loved one complains of your incessant snoring, or you have a partner who snores excessively, it may be sleep apnea. Here is what you should know.

What Are The Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea?

In addition to appearing to stop breathing and loudly snoring, sleep apnea can manifest itself in other ways. One of the biggest side effects is the person may suffer from chronic fatigue. This is because the breathing interruptions prevent the person from ever entering the deep, restorative cycle of sleep. This can cause drowsiness during the day, which can be especially dangerous if you must drive or have a job that requires attentiveness. Headaches and general irritability are other common symptoms.

How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?

While it is fairly easy to simply look at someone and know if they are suffering breathing interruptions, an overnight sleep study with monitors is required so doctors can determine the best course of treatment for your specific cause.

What Are The Causes Of Sleep Apnea?

There are three different types of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles basically collapse upon themselves. The muscles relax and block the airway, causing the person to snort or cough to open them back up temporarily.

Central sleep apnea is when your brain fails to send the signals needed for respiration. This is not as common as obstructive sleep apnea, but it can be more serious. The third type is treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, which means you have a combination of both obstructive and central.

Who Gets Sleep Apnea?

Being overweight, having a thick or short neck, chronic sinus issues, alcohol and drug usage, smoking, age, genetics, and being male are risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea. Those factors, as well as diabetes, a previous stroke, and congestive heart failure or other heart issues, are the additional risk factors for central sleep apnea.

How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?

Some people simply need to change their bad habits. Quitting smoking, losing weight, and cutting back on drinking can dramatically improve sleep apnea. Other may need to use a CPAP, a mask worn at night that gently forces air into your airway to keep it open.

Some people, however, will require sleep apnea surgery. Sleep apnea surgery can vary depending on where the issues lie. You may simply need to have your tonsils removed. Perhaps the little piece of tissue that hangs down in the back of your throat, the uvula, is abnormally large and needs to be removed. Sometimes surgery is done to correct a severe underbite of the jaw, which can cause the apnea issue. People who have congenital abnormalities to the structure of their mouth and jaw often require surgery. Weight loss surgery may also be recommended.


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