Common
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea is a debilitating and oftentimes life-threatening
disorder characterized by breathing cessation during slumber.
Apnea literally means to stop breathing. In sleep apnea sufferers,
breathing can cease for just a few seconds or last for minutes.
The first signs of sleep apnea are usually noticed by family members
and include snoring and gagging.
Sleep apnea sufferers are usually tired all day, complain of
headaches, and wake with sore throats. It reduces the amount of
quality sleep the body gets. Quality sleep is needed for the body
and brain to recoup from the days activities. The most dangerous
symptom is respiration cessation. This symptom can lead to death.
The causes of sleep apnea vary from person to person. Some reasons
include anatomy, obesity, or the brains failure to transmit signals
effectively. The throat relaxes and collapses, prohibiting air
from entering the lungs. There are some studies that show a possible
hereditary link. If a loved one has sleep apnea and you have difficulty
breathing at night, you may have sleep apnea also.
There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central and
complex. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the tongue blocking
the airway while sleeping. The brain doesn't send the proper signals
to breath in Central sleep apnea. Complex sleep apnea is a combination
of both Obstructive and Central.
Sleep apnea is initially suspected by either a family member
or a family physician. The patient will complain of lack of good
sleep, waking several times a night, and headaches. The only true
test of sleep apnea is a sleep study test. The sleep test is an
overnight monitoring of sleep activities and involves nocturnal
polysomnography, oximetry, and portable cardiorespiratory testing.
There are several effective treatments for sleep apnea. A patient
may be sent to an ear, nose, and throat doctor to rule out oral
structural issues. surgery may correct the sleep apnea if the
structural components of the oral cavity can be manipulated as
to not obstruct the airway.
CPAP is one of the most widely used treatments. CPAP is a continuous
positive airway pressure machine. The patient wears a special
mask over the nose or nose and mouth. Air is constantly blown
in, creating a splint in order to keep the airway open. CPAP is
well tolerated by most people.
The outcome of sleep apnea sufferers is excellent if diagnosed
properly and treatment plans are adhered to by the patient. If
you or someone you know is possibly suffering from sleep apnea,
get checked immediately. This is a very serious disorder.
What is a Sleep Study for Apnea?
When sleep deprivation is suspected, your doctor will want to
order a sleep study to test for apnea or other sleep disorders.
The sleep study takes a comprehensive look at your sleep dynamics.
Some of the things it measures are how long it takes you to get
to sleep, how many times you wake during the night, the quality
of your sleep, and blood oxygen levels during sleep.
There are three common types of sleep studies:
Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) - There are
two versions of this test. The daytime one tests for narcolepsy
by measuring the degree of sleepiness during the daytime. The
nighttime test measures how long it takes for someone to fall
asleep.
Multiple Wake Test (MWT) - Measures if you can
stay awake during normal activities when a person would be expected
to remain awake.
Polysomnogram (PSG) - This is general evaluation
and monitoring. There are two versions. One version is a two night
test. The first night includes monitoring of sleep activities.
The second night is to find proper corrections for problems found
on the first night. The second type of PSG is the split night.
The first half of the test is monitoring and recording, the second
half is finding proper corrections especially during a sleep study
for apnea.
Sleep studies look for the severity of apnea events. How long
they last and how often they happen are important to assess. Airflow
drops are considered apnea events. 5-15 apnea events an hour is
considered mild sleep apnea. Moderate sleep apnea is 15-30 events
an hour. Severe apnea is 30 or more an hour. The other way to
diagnose the severity of sleep apnea involves assessing when sleepiness
occurs and how often. This method is accurate, but subjective
to provided information.
Brain waves are measured during a sleep study for apnea. There
are four different types recorded during the study - alpha, beta,
delta, and theta. Each one represents a different sleep stage.
The study will measure the amount of time spent in each stage
of sleep. A typical nights sleep will include a progression through
the four different stages of sleep, then 60-90 minutes of REM
sleep. This cycle is normally repeated around four times a night.
Any deviation in this cycle can result in sleep deprivation issues.
Blood pressure, pulse and respiration rates are recorded. It
is not unusual to see blood pressure spikes as high as 220/130
during a sleep study for apnea. As an apneic event happen and
the blood vessels constrict, the heart will race and cause pounding
against the narrowed vessels thus increasing blood pressure. After
breathing resumes, respirations are increased in an effort to
restore normal oxygen levels. This can have a devastating effect
on overall health if it continuously happens over a period of
time.
Sleep tests are crucial when sleep disorders such as sleep apnea
are suspected. They will record valuable information that will
be used in diagnosis and treatment plans. The tests are performed
by trained sleep technicians and the results are read by an experienced
doctor specializing in sleep disorders. Sleep studies for apnea
may include same night treatment for severe cases. This is one
test you will want to make every effort not to miss.
|  New
Craving Control Diet...
Lose weight the healthy way by choosing a healthy
diet based on nutritious foods that help control food
cravings and binge eating, increase your metabolism,
and reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
And without all the sugar and other refined carbs,
you reduce the risk of yeast infections, too.
For details, visit CravingControl
Diet.com |
|
© 2006 - 2008
Jonni Good | All Rights Reserved
1311 V Ave
La Grande, OR 97850
Site Map | About
the Author | Contact Form
Sleep Apnea
OSA Home Page | Privacy
Policy | Sleep Aids
| Sleep Apnea
Resources
Sleep Apnea Risks
| Sleep Apnea
Symptoms | Appliances
| Other Sleep Disorders
Disclaimer:
The information presented on this page and other pages on this
site is based upon the opinions of the author, and on the author's
interpretation of published reports and articles. It is not intended
to replace your relationship with a qualified health care professional,
and is not intended as medical advice.
The author encourages
you to make your own health care decisions based upon knowledge
of the issues of nutrition and health, and in partnership with
a qualified health care professional.
|
