The Facts About Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder identified by abnormally shallow breaths during sleeping or pauses in breathing. The pauses in breathing are called apnea. These pauses can last for a few seconds or a few minutes and can occur six to 30 times in an hour. The depthless breathing is referred to as hypopnea. A study called polysomnogram is used to diagnose this disorder.
There are three types: central; obstructive; and complex or mixed. Central apnea, also known as CSA, occurs when breathing is interrupted by a lack of respiratory effort. OSA, or obstructive apnea, is when a physical block to airflow interrupts breathing. In this situation, there is respiratory effort. Snoring is a common symptom. Individuals who are suffering from these disorders are sometimes unaware of it.
The symptoms and effects of these disorders can dangerously impact a person at work, especially in jobs that require machine operation or manual labor. Some common behavior effects: decreased vigilance, aggressiveness and moodiness. Other physical issues that can arise include vision problems; difficulty making judgments and processing information; lack of short-term memory; altered reaction time; and daytime fatigue. Overall, these reactions interrupt cognition.
Generally these disorders can be diagnosed by the results from the polysomnogram and assessment of symptoms. In some cases, an oximetry may be performed in place of a polysomnogram. The guidelines for diagnosis can be complicated.
Obstructive apnea is the most common category of disordered breathing during sleep. Age, body weight, diabetes and smoking can all negatively impact the risk factor for an individual. Snoring, restlessness and daytime tiredness are common symptoms. The sporadic starting and stopping of breathing characterizes central apnea, or Cheyne-Stokes respiration. This takes place because the parts of the brain that control respiratory functions are imbalanced. Complex or mixed apnea is a combination of obstructive and central.
The majority of treatment begins with some form of behavioral therapy. In temperate cases, a few changes in lifestyle can provide positive results. Individuals may be told to avoid alcohol and sleeping pills and rest on their side, rather than back or stomach. More severe cases may require continuous positive airway pressure or automatic airway pressure. A dentist may suggest oral appliance therapy. This treatment uses a mouthpiece to realign the lower jaw and open the airway. Surgery has a cure rate of approximately 95 percent. It has low risks associated with it and is thought to be the most long-lasting and effective form of treatment.
There are alternative treatment methods. Some physicians suggest patients play a wind instrument called the didgeridoo. This is said to reduce snoring, tiredness and in some cases, the disorders. Oropharyngeal exercises, used in speech therapy, have been shown to treat moderate cases of OSA.
Usually these disorders affect men and women in their middle ages and they have been for centuries. In 1981, Colin Sullivan and his associates described the continuous positive airway pressure. This transformed the management of obstructive sleep apnea. Since then, the desire to seek out and treat individuals with these disorders has resulted in hundreds of sleep disorder clinics worldwide.
Battling sleep apnea? Get more information today on symptoms, how to get Ottawa CPAP, where to get a CPAP Ottawa, and the next steps to take.
Indemnity Medical Care Options
July 17, 2011
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Posted by Adriana Noton
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