Category: Sleep Disorders

CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) is the best treatment for people suffering from obstructive sleeping apnea. When used every night, it is almost 100 percent effective.

• Surgery should only be considered a last resort. Although there are some situations in which your surgeon and your sleep specialist will agree that surgery would be the best option, these are rare.
• The most effective treatment is the one that works for you.
• Nonsurgical treatments can be more conservative than sleep apnea surgery, and they may prove to be more effective.
• Before you have surgery to correct sleep apnea, get a second opinion from your sleep specialist.
• To verify that the treatment is effective in eliminating your sleep apnea, do a sleep study prior to and after the treatment.

Select the right treatment

The most conservative treatment will work for each individual. Which conservative treatment is best for you? This is a complicated and personal question that you and your sleep specialist should discuss with your family doctor. You should consider the severity of your apnea and your overall health when deciding on the treatment. A sleep specialist can help you choose the best treatment for you.

What does it mean to be most conservative? This is the treatment that has the lowest risk to you. Different doctors might have different treatment recommendations. Each doctor has unconscious and conscious biases that favor certain types of treatment. This is the result of their training, specialization, and personal experience. An internist may believe surgery is the best choice, while a surgeon might be more inclined to believe it is. It is your job to consider these biases as you and your doctors weigh the benefits and risks of each treatment and decide which one is best for you.

CPAP is the best treatment for most people with sleep apnea

CPAP (continuous negative airway pressure), is the best treatment for people suffering from sleep apnea. CPAP can completely eliminate sleep apnea and reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular or heart disease from untreated sleep apnea. CPAP improves sleep quality, energy, and enjoyment of life. This allows people to resume careers and other activities that were hindered by untreated sleep apnea.

CPAP is considered the most conservative treatment. If other treatments prove to be more effective, CPAP may be discontinued. This is a significant advantage over permanent treatments like surgery.

When someone mentions surgery

When you hear the term “sleep apnea surgery”, remember this:

• The most conservative treatment that works is the best.
• CPAP is the best treatment for sleep apnea for most people.
• Surgery comes with risks, and it is important to fully understand the risks.

Is insurance covered for sleep apnea treatment?

When you start to think about treatment for sleep apnea, it is a good idea to get in touch with your insurance company. Ask your insurance provider what treatments they will cover and what their coverage covers. If prescribed by a sleep specialist, most insurance companies will cover the most common sleep apnea treatments. Some surgical procedures might not be covered.

Who treats sleep apnea?

Depending on what treatment you need, where it will be done will depend on your particular treatment, how big your sleep center is, its staff size, and the importance of its programs. Some centers offer both sleep testing and treatment. Others only do sleep testing. Other sleep centers may specialize in treating sleep apnea. Still, others will refer patients to other facilities. You can expect the staff and sleep specialists to work with your family to plan your treatment. They may also recommend a specialist. At this point, your family doctor might be involved. The doctor might suggest a variety of treatments you can do on your own, such as quitting smoking or losing weight.

The sleep center might refer you to a nutrition counselor, a support group for smokers, or other programs that can help. If you are considering surgery and your sleep center doesn’t offer it, they will likely recommend or refer other specialists to you. These doctors will help to plan your treatment. You may want to consult an outside physician if your sleep center has a surgeon or other specialist who can treat you. The sleep center might prefer that you start medication, and then your family physician will oversee your recovery.

A breathing device is the most commonly used treatment. The device can be provided by the sleep center or arranged for by a homecare company or medical equipment company.

The first step in treatment: Get rid of the obvious

To treat sleep apnea, you must first eliminate any aggravating factors. This will help you avoid more complex treatments. These can make your sleep apnea worse.

• Even a single glass with dinner of alcohol in the evening can increase the frequency of apnea events. Alcohol consumption should be avoided by people with sleep apnea.
• The blood’s oxygen level is decreased by smoking. Smoking also causes inflammation of the airway which can lead to obstructive sleep apnea. It is a good idea to quit smoking if you suffer from sleep apnea.
• As well as swelling and obstruction of your airway, respiratory infections and allergies can also cause itching. Obstructive sleep apnea can be reduced by treating allergies and upper respiratory infections.
• Evening medication, such as tranquilizers or short-acting beta-blockers, can sometimes worsen sleep apnea. A sleep specialist might consult the doctor who prescribed the medication to determine if a change in the prescription or the medication schedule could help to eliminate symptoms of sleep apnea. (See Appendix for a complete list of medications that can affect sleep).
• Obesity is a major contributor to sleep apnea. Weight loss can reduce or eliminate sleep apnea. This article will discuss weight loss in greater detail.
• Shift work. Any activity that disrupts the quality or quantity of sleep, such as shift work, can lead to sleep apnea symptoms.

Ask your sleep specialist about how to improve your sleep while working shifts. It may be worth considering switching to a job that doesn’t require you to rotate shifts. These are often caused by bad habits and lifestyles that are hard to change. People often have the best success if they participate in a structured program to get rid of a habit. Ask your sleep center for a recommendation if you are struggling to solve a problem like losing weight or quitting smoking.

Treatments for Obstructive or Mixed Sleep Apnea

From the most conservative to the least conservative, there are currently several options for treating obstructive sleeping apnea. These include weight loss, changing your sleeping position, or using oral and/or medical devices. Mixed apnea is usually treated by treating the obstructive component. Central apnea usually ceases to exist once the obstructive component of your apnea has been controlled.

Modification in your Sleep Position

Obstructive sleep apnea sufferers are more likely to experience severe breathing problems when they lie on their backs. These people may be able to resolve their problems by changing their sleeping position. There is not enough evidence to prove that this method produces reliable results every Night.

Even though sleep testing may show fewer breath-holds at a specific position, it is possible that the airflow is still poor enough to disrupt sleep. You may feel more rested if you use CPAP than if you sleep on your side with CPAP. This is a strong indicator that you require more than positional treatment. Position training is not recommended for people suffering from severe apnea.

People who are:

1. A sleep study has shown that obstructive sleep apnea can only occur while they lie on their backs.
2. Can they reliably rest on their side?

Conditioning is key to learning how to avoid certain sleep positions. For those who roll onto their backs, there are many sleep position alarms that can alert them and help them choose a different sleeping position. You can either sew a small ball to the back of your pajamas or carry a small bag containing a bulky object and lie on your side. Most people need to practice for a few weeks before a new position in their sleep becomes a routine. They may also need to “retrain” themselves from time to time.

Weight Loss

Who can be helped by weight loss?

People with Pickwickian syndrome can lose weight.

1. Apnea in overweight people is more often associated with weight gain than with anatomical obstructions of the airway (such as a stuffy nose or large tonsils).
2. If sleep apnea is not a serious problem, the effects on your health such as heart disease or sleepiness may not be a threat to your life immediately.

People with overweight apnea who are motivated to improve their lives and health are more likely to succeed in weight loss.

How does weight loss work?

It works when it’s effective. There are other reasons that are being investigated. It reduces abnormal abdominal loading that can cause breathing difficulties and reduces fatty deposits in the throat tissue which may lead to obstructive sleep apnea. Weight loss can only be effective if:

1. You can lose enough weight
2. Permanent weight loss is possible

Failure to lose weight and weight gain are two of the main reasons this treatment fails. There may be a threshold weight above which extra weight can cause apnea symptoms, and below which symptoms can be relieved. This theory states that you must reduce your weight enough to reach the threshold to experience improvement in your apnea symptoms. The upper airway is soft-sided, collapsible, and can be affected by other factors, such as weight gain. A person with a small jaw that crowds the airway might not notice much improvement.

Some people may have difficulty losing weight or keeping it off if their sleep apnea remains untreated. They may experience fatigue, sleepiness, and low energy. This could make it difficult for them to be physically active enough in order to burn calories and build muscle. Combining CPAP (discussed below) with weight loss can be a powerful combination. Weight loss surgery can be a drastic way to lose weight. Recent evidence shows that weight loss surgery is a radical way to lose weight. However, severe obesity with a BMI over 40 could pose greater risks than having it treated. Weight loss surgery is not recommended as a conservative treatment. This topic will be discussed in the section on surgery.

CPAP and similar Breathing Devices

CPAP and other similar breathing devices are the best and most important treatments for sleep apnea. Breathing devices are used to treat obstructive sleep apnea. They use air pressure as a “splint”, which holds the upper airway open during sleep and prevents it from collapsing. Experts in sleep believe that these devices can also stimulate a person’s breathing reflexes.

CPAP, pronounced “SEE-pap”, is the most commonly used breathing technology to treat sleep apnea. CPAP (continuous negative airway pressure) is a technology that Dr. Colin Sullivan, a researcher at the University of Sydney Medical School in Australia, developed in 1981 (1.2). In 1984, it was used for the first time to treat sleep apnea in the United States.

CPAP is the best standard treatment for sleep apnea, whether it’s surgical or not. CPAP is the preferred treatment at most sleep centers. The standard CPAP system consists of a soft, flexible, and pliable mask, which is worn over the nose at night (but not the mouth). Flexible tubing connects the mask to an air pump that delivers slightly pressurized air into the nose through the tubing. The CPAP wearer inhales and the air pressure stabilizes the soft palate and tongue. It prevents the airway from collapsing. The pressure regulator is a customized set that is made for each patient in a sleep laboratory. It delivers the exact pressure the individual needs to eliminate apnea episodes, but not more than necessary. Each year, new CPAP models are released.

Visit the websites of major manufacturers to see the latest CPAP masks and models.

ResMed Corp. www.resmed.com 800-424-0737 Respironics, Inc. www.respironics.com 800-345-6643

CPAP pressure can be measured in centimeters (cm H2O) and barometric pressure in millimeters (mm Hg). Typical CPAP pressure settings are between 5 and 20 cm H2O.

Bi-level PAP, also known as BiPAP by Respironics, Inc., is a refined version of CPAP. The system allows the sleep specialist the ability to adjust the air pressure to two levels. Higher pressure is used when the person inhales to reduce snoring and a lower pressure for exhaling to make it easier.

Oxygen may be prescribed for severe cases of obstructive sleeping apnea. An auto-PAP, or smart-PAP, is a new type of CPAP. This machine adjusts the pressure to suit the user’s needs. The device detects user’s breathing patterns, adjusts pressure to compensate for changes in breathing throughout the night. There are many smart-PAP manufacturers. Each one uses different breathing signals for controlling their devices. There are different designs that are more comfortable than others and which are better suited for specific types of users.

A smart-PAP costs more than a regular CPAP. Many people suffering from sleep apnea would not consider the additional cost. Most insurance and health plans will not pay for smart-PAPs unless they are prescribed. Dual- or variable-pressure systems are the preferred treatment for severe cases of sleep apnea. Insurance will usually cover the additional cost if the specialist prescribes one. This field is rapidly changing in technology. Talk to your homecare representative and staff about the different types of breathing devices available if you’re a candidate for CPAP. It is possible to try several and choose the one that suits you best.

Who can benefit from CPAP?

CPAP can be a “miracle cure” for people who haven’t slept or breathed normally in years, and who are very ill from long-term cardiac and respiratory effects. CPAP is used by more than 350,000 Americans today. This number keeps growing each year.

Many people find that CPAP can be difficult to adjust to. This is why patience and perseverance are important. CPAP treatment should be initiated and assessed in the sleep center during an overnight study.

This allows the sleep technician to adjust the pressure accurately, establish a baseline to monitor the effectiveness of treatment, and avoid ineffective or inappropriate use of CPAP. CPAPs might be able to do this in the patient’s own home over time. But that is still a long way off.

Getting used to CPAP

CPAP is a difficult procedure that requires perseverance and motivation. It takes a few minutes to wash your face each night before you go to bed, just like brushing your teeth. Then, take a few minutes each morning to wash the mask. Once CPAP becomes part of your bedtime routine, you will be able to use it every night. For better health and a longer life expectancy, one must make a commitment each night to use the system.

CPAP users are generally willing to accept the inconvenience after they have experienced the results. A follow-up study with 20 CPAP users found that 16 of them still used their CPAP every night after a year. This high level of compliance reflects the patients’ enthusiasm for the treatment. High compliance means that the center for sleep disorders has a policy that provides conscientious care to assist new CPAP patients with any questions or problems that may arise. The main drawbacks to CPAP lie in the idea that CPAP is cumbersome and inconvenient. It may also cause irritation to the nasal passages in some people.

Some people are able to get used to the mask in a matter of days or weeks. Others may need several weeks. Some CPAP users find the fan-like sound of the air pump motor annoying. Patients who have CPAP machines that are more recent find it difficult to hear the machine. They may wake up at night to discover that their CPAP machine is no longer audible. Once they get used to it, it will be a habitual sound that they can hear. People don’t mind CPAP and most people prefer it to snore.

CPAP can be used all night and every night to provide positive results that almost seem like an instant cure. Most people feel better within days of using CPAP than they did in years. People report feeling more rested, awake in the morning, alert throughout the day, and having the energy and motivation to accomplish the things they desire.

Regular CPAP users who stop using the device for a night, such as during a power outage, are often eager to get back to CPAP. This is because their symptoms and apneas quickly return. Many people who have used CPAP for a while and then slept without it report feeling more aware of the choking sensations they felt with each apnea event. They may dream of heavyweights being placed on their chests or feel suffocated when they go to sleep without CPAP. This is why they don’t often want to quit CPAP.

What are the long-term effects of CPAP?

Since the 1980s, CPAP has been monitored closely by sleep scientists to ensure that there are no adverse long-term effects. CPAP has been used by thousands of people for over 20 years. No serious adverse effects have been documented in the medical literature. Although no one can ensure safety for sleeping for more than 30-40 years at slightly higher pressures, the medical literature indicates that sleep apnea is much more dangerous than the potential long-term consequences of using CPAP.

What is the cost of CPAP devices?

CPAP systems are available for rent or purchase. Renting a system for a few months is a great way to get started. You can then see how it works and maybe try a few other models. The cost of CPAP units varies across the country. Currently, CPAP units are available for rent at a cost of $250 to $350 per month. The purchase price is around $1,500 to $3,000 The mask and tubing may need to be purchased separately (about $200). Masks need to be replaced regularly because they absorb oil from the skin.

Silicone masks can last for up to 18 months. Unheated humidifiers can be as low as $100, while a heated humidifier costs $500. Your insurance policy may cover some, if not all of the cost of CPAP rental or purchase. For more information on CPAP, talk to your insurance representative.

How do you get a CPAP unit?

To be eligible for a CPAP machine, you must have a prescription from your doctor. The staff at your sleep center can connect you to a company that will provide you with a CPAP machine. A representative from the homecare company will show you how to use your CPAP device. In the event of a breakdown, they should be able to provide immediate service.

Some sleep centers rent or directly sell CPAP machines. Most do not have the staff or desire to rent CPAP systems.

Anyone can develop sleep apnea, even you!

• One out of four middle-aged men is a man
• One in 10 middle-aged women is a woman
• Even children

Sleep apnea is a condition that has been known since forever, but it was only recently discovered.

Many doctors aren’t trained to look for signs of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea treatment can reduce your chance of developing serious health problems.

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Automobile crashes

To determine if you have any sleep disorders, consult a specialist.

Sleep Apnea: Who is it?

What is the first sign that a person has developed a tendency towards sleep apnea? Because sleep apnea is a result of combined risk factors, it can be difficult to identify.

All ages can suffer from sleep apnea. The tendency may even be present from birth in some individuals. Sleep apnea is a later stage of a disorder of breathing that starts early in life. It’s a mild breathing problem that affects a small part of the automatic reflex.

When other risk factors are present, a breathing abnormality is more likely than sleep apnea to develop.

• Obesity
• A sensitive breathing reflex
• The slightest failure of coordination between the breathing muscles
• A narrowed or blocked upper airway, such as in the nasal passages or large tonsils, adenoids, or lower jaw, can cause obstructions.

All of these factors can combine to cause a gradual increase in breathing difficulty in young people. This could eventually lead to a permanent abnormality when sleeping in adulthood.

Sleep apnea can be inherited in some cases. One example is a person who inherits an airway that is difficult to shape. He may also inherit a low response to carbon dioxide. A person may develop sleep apnea from one factor or several.

Sleep apnea can be influenced by gender. Sleep apnea is three times more common in men than it is in women (3). This could be due to differences in the structure and muscle tone of men and women. It is possible that sex hormones can also play a role (e.g., testosterone in men vs progesterone for women).

Another factor is extra body weight. Obese people have a higher rate of sleep apnea compared to people who are healthy.

Sleep apnea can be defined as a condition that affects middle-aged people or those who are older. This is due to several reasons. First, as we age, our throat muscle tone decreases during sleep. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to worsening of the condition. Third, weight increases with age, most often starting after 40. When symptoms of sleep apnea become severe enough to warrant medical attention, the patient may be in their 40s or 50s. They may also be suffering from obesity, heart disease, pulmonary complications, arrhythmia, or congestive heart failure. According to one report, the average age of patients attending a sleep clinic is 52.4 years.

Sleep apnea is possible at any age. Sleep apnea can also occur in children. Sleep apnea can be a problem in children. Sleep apnea is more common in obese and enlarged tonsils.

Many drugs can cause sleep apnea. These drugs include alcohol, sedatives, and hypnotic medications (sleeping pills), as well as some heart medications (short-acting beta-blockers such as propranolol).

Have You Ever Heard About Sleep Apnea?

According to estimates, 20 million Americans might suffer from sleep apnea. One in four men and one in ten women aged 30-60 years have signs of sleep apnea. One in five Israeli industrial workers had some form of sleep apnea, according to a study. This is a surprising number considering that not many people had heard of sleep apnea until a few years back.

If sleep apnea seems so common, then why haven’t you heard of it? Sleep apnea is a condition that has been known since ancient times but was only recently recognized by medical professionals.

W. H. Broadbent, an observant physician, published one of the earliest descriptions ever of sleep apnea in 1877. Although he did not name the condition sleep apnea in his writings, he described two types of apnea today: obstructive and central.

In the late 1800s, there were many more reports about patients suffering from sleepiness during the day and difficulty breathing when asleep. In

1890. Silas Weir Mitchell, an American neurologist, and toxicologist wrote the first detailed accounts about a breathing disorder that occurs during sleep. He also began unraveling the mystery of sleep apnea.

People suffering from sleep apnea were quickly informed that bacteria was the cause of some diseases. Medical attention was primarily focused on microbes such as sleep sickness and other sleep disorders. Many of the information and suggestions about sleep disorders were ignored.

Scientists began making careful observations of sleeping people in the 1950s. Polysomnography, an electronic method for measuring and studying the sleep cycle, was developed by them. They discovered interesting details about sleep through this method.

For example, they discovered that sleep is not a time of inactivity. This surprising discovery sparked a surge in interest in sleep research, which intensified the search for a better understanding of sleep, normal and abnormal.

It was soon apparent that sleep events can have a profound impact on a person’s health. According to Dr. William Dement (one of the leading experts in this field), “It’s possible for individuals to be completely normal awake and fatally ill asleep.” A new field of medicine, sleep disorders medicine, was born.

Over the past 15 years, researchers in sleep have been able to identify signs and symptoms of many abnormal sleep conditions, including sleep apnea, other forms of sleep-disordered breathing, narcolepsy and nocturnal myoclonus and idiopathic nervous system hypersomnolence. These conditions were previously difficult to diagnose or even impossible.

Doctors are getting more educated and can now diagnose sleep apnea in patients that were previously treated for heart disease, insomnia, or any other symptoms.

Treatment of Sleep Apnea: Confirming the Diagnosis

After you are given a tentative diagnosis for sleep apnea, or another similar sleep/breathing disorder, it is important to arrange an all-night test. Proper testing is essential to confirm the existence of a sleep disorder as well as to differentiate between them. A wrong diagnosis can lead to inappropriate treatment. A wrong diagnosis can lead to serious problems, such as sleep apnea.

Similar symptoms can be seen in other sleep disorders

Narcolepsy refers to a sleep disorder where people experience irresistible sleep attacks at inappropriate times. It is similar to sleep apnea. Narcolepsy, however, is a neurological disorder that has its own symptoms, such as sleep paralysis and cataplexy. It is not like sleep apnea.

Sometimes, insomnia is confused with sleep apnea. There are many causes of insomnia. Only a small percentage of people with sleep apnea also suffer from it.

Sometimes, sleep apnea can be accompanied by two other sleep disorders. These include periodic limb movement during sleep (PLMS), also known as a periodic leg movement disorder.

PLMD (or nocturnal myoclonus), and restless leg syndromes (RLS) are both possible. These can both cause daytime sleepiness. However, a skilled sleep disorders specialist can help you avoid confusion by performing appropriate testing.

Summary

• Family doctors are still not able to recognize sleep apnea.
• Although sleep apnea is possible at any age, it is more common in middle-aged people and those who are obese.
• It is possible to treat sleep apnea.

The number one sleep disorder is sleep apnea. Why is this?

1. Sleep apnea affects approximately one in ten middle-aged males. It is slightly less common in women.
2. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to death.
3. Because there are not enough sleep specialists to diagnose and treat this condition, patients with sleep apnea are often misdiagnosed and poorly treated.

Sleep apnea can cause people to lose their vitality, health, or even life. Many readers will be familiar with the symptoms of loss of vitality. Sleep apnea is a condition that causes people to fall asleep while driving or anywhere else. Heavy snoring can trdisrupt their sleep, and sometimes that of their families. They work hard despite fatigue, snore at their desks, fall asleep on the couch, and then stumble back to work exhausted.

They are unable to enjoy the company of family or friends.

Sleep apnea can have serious health consequences. People with untreated sleep apnea are at risk of driving accidents, high blood pressure, and strokes.

There are many options for treatment (even sleep apnea surgery)and they are highly effective. People who were once sick can quickly recover their energy, resume their favorite activities and become more active. The good news is that life can be restored.

The main problem is an accurate diagnosis. Undiagnosed sleep apnea sufferers account for between 80 and 90% of cases. Many patients who suffered from sleep apnea for more than ten years were able to testify before their condition was properly diagnosed and treated by the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research.

Sleep apnea has been recognized as a major medical condition that can have a significant impact on your cardiovascular, mental, and driving safety. It can also affect your daily functions at home or work. Over 4,000 American sleep centers are available. Sleep medicine was recently recognized as a sub-specialty by the American College of Physicians.

Millions of people continue to suffer from sleep disorders, receive sub-standard care, and feel hopeless that their condition hasn’t improved.

Are You Suffering from Sleep Apnea

These are the top 10 signs of sleep apnea

1. Loud, irregular, or loud snoring, snorts, and gasps during sleep
2. Sleeping with long pauses in breathing
3. Excessive daytime sleepiness
4. Fatigue
5. Obesity
6. Memory, alertness, and memory changes
7. Changes in mood, personality, or behavior
8. Impotence
9. Morning headaches
10. Bed-wetting

Untreated sleep apnea could lead to 12 serious medical issues.

1. Heart attack risk is 20 times higher
2. Stroke risk is three times higher
3. The risk of workplace accidents and automobile crashes is 15 times greater
4. Unregular heartbeat
5. Increased risk for heart failure
6. High blood pressure
7. Excessive sleeping
8. Impotence
9. Uncontrollable weight gain
10. Psychological symptoms such as irritability or depression are common.
11. Memory, alertness, or coordination decline
12. Death

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea. The Greek prefix a [‘no’] and the Greek term pnoia[“breath”) are the two main components of the word apnea. It is pronounced APNEE-uh. It is a condition that causes breathing problems in people, often while they are asleep. Most people treat it as a joke by ignoring the loud, heavy snoring. Sleep apnea can be serious. Sleep apnea can be fatal. It can lead to heart problems, strokes, accidents in the car, and even death.

Sleep apnea is a condition that causes people to stop breathing throughout the night. The breathing may stop for as long as a minute, or it may stop for up to 10-20 times per hour. These sleep/breathing disturbances can cause sleep or breathing problems that result in oxygen deprivation.

You might think, “So what?” “I feel tired and sleepy throughout the day. This should not be considered a medical issue.

Actually, there are two issues. The first problem is that sleep apnea can pose a serious health risk. Along with obesity, diabetes, and smoking, it is one of four leading causes of cardiovascular disease.

Another problem with sleep apnea is the alarming amount of people who have it but don’t know they have it. This number ranges from 20 to 25 million Americans. A recent study of 60- to 70-year-olds found that 24% and 9% of them had sleep apnea signs (see the chart at the top).

Sleep apnea is three times more common after menopause than it was before menopause.

Unsettling results from a study on truckers revealed that almost 87 percent of them had signs of sleep apnea. Truckers suffering from sleep apnea are at risk for major accidents because they have a 15-fold higher chance of falling asleep behind the wheel if it is not treated. In fact, truckers who are killed in an accident result in the deaths of an average of 4.3 others.

These are the Top 10 Signs of Sleep Apnea

It is possible that you are the only one to discover that you have sleep apnea. You are usually asleep when it occurs, and it disappears when you get up. It is often a friend or loved one who notices that someone’s sleeping patterns and breathing aren’t normal.

Most often, spouses, children, and close friends will be the first to recognize the 10 most common signs of sleep apnea or sleep-disordered breath.

Loud, irregular Snoring, Snorting, Gasps, or Other Unusual Breathing Sounds during Sleep

Any person who snores loudly or frequently is likely to have sleep apnea. When the person stops breathing, the snoring ceases. Sometimes, it starts again with a snort or a gasp.

When the person takes their next breath.

Regular snoring is characterized by breathing that stops and irregular snoring. This is in contrast to the relaxed, quiet sawing of ZZZs most people do sometimes, especially if they’re asleep on their backs.

Apnea-type noises can be loud, slow, and even explosive. The person may seem to be struggling to breathe, which is exactly what it is.

A common characteristic of severe apnea-type sleep apnea is the ability to occur in any position. While rolling over to the side can help, some patients have difficulty snoring when they sleep on their backs.

Sleep-disordered or heavy breathing without snoring can indicate sleep apnea, which is also a close relative and requires medical attention.

A person can’t rely on loud snoring to diagnose sleep apnea. Even if the snoring seems to be infrequent or quiet, a person could have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be diagnosed even if there is no snoring.

A person who is unable to sleep alone could have sleep apnea. To suggest that a specialist be seen, they will need to look at the nine other signs of sleep apnea.

Pauses during Sleep

Everybody’s breathing patterns are different during sleep. You may experience a moment of pause in your breathing just before you fall asleep, or when you wake up. Your dream breathing can also be irregular. These are normal changes in breathing that occur while you’re asleep.

A person suffering from sleep apnea may stop breathing completely and hold their breath for an unusually long time. These periods of breathing that stop are called an apnea episode, or an apnea incident. Apnea events can last for as little as 10 seconds up to more than one minute.

There are many ways sleep specialists can measure sleep apnea. The Apnea Index is a measure of the number of apnea episodes per hour. Another indicator is the length of the apnea episodes. A person with an Apnea Index 20 (20 apnea episodes/hour of sleep) would be diagnosed as having moderately severe sleep apnea. If the episodes last longer than 10 seconds, a specialist would consider the individual to have sleep apnea.

Oxygen saturation, another measure of sleep apnea, is also known as oxygen saturation. You can’t breathe if you don’t take in oxygen. The oxygen in your bloodstream slowly runs out and organs aren’t getting the oxygen they require. The brain is sensitive to oxygen deprivation.

A person suffering from sleep apnea could have had hundreds of episodes of not breathing by morning. Is it possible that such a person wouldn’t be aware of the struggle to breathe? No. No. People with sleep apnea are often so sleep-deprived they are unable to breathe normally and rarely even realize it. Sometimes, patients with sleep apnea will experience a brief snort when they wake up, especially during naps and when they are seated.

They will likely describe their problem as “insomnia.”

Most people with sleep apnea don’t even know they have it. Many people have no complaints about their sleep. Many people will tell you that they sleep well and wish your bedmate would stop snoring.

Listen! Listen! For both the patient and their doctor, a tape recording can help to prove that the person has a sleep disorder.

Excessive daytime sleepiness

People with sleep apnea most commonly complain of excessive sleepiness.

EDS is a condition that affects two-thirds of patients with sleep apnea. EDS can have a gradual creep up over them, making it difficult to know what normal feels like. Some people believe they are normal and that their drowsiness just means they are getting older. Others may feel that they need a vacation.

Sleep apnea sufferers can come up with endless reasons why they fall asleep at work, behind the wheel, while driving, at dinner, on the couch, at parties, or at sporting events.

It is normal to struggle to stay awake even during boring meetings. You should not struggle with sleepiness throughout the day. This is abnormal. You need to find out right away if you don’t want it to ruin your life.

Poor nighttime sleep is the main cause of excessive daytime sleepiness. This happens when sleep is disrupted repeatedly throughout the night due to apnea events. Sleep apnea is a condition that causes a person to not get enough sleep and is of poor quality. People with sleep apnea have a constant need for sleep, which can carry over into their daily lives. They are forced to fall asleep frequently and easily at their desks, while they read or watch TV, and while driving.

Unexplained Fatigue

People with sleep apnea also experience fatigue. Fatigue is not the same as sleepiness. Fatigue is not a desire to go to sleep. It’s a feeling of being exhausted and drained. Sleep apnea sufferers often feel tired all the time. Many people with sleep apnea don’t realize they feel tired more often than they should. This is because the condition has been there for many years and has become increasingly worse. They assume their fatigue is a normal part of aging.

As with drowsiness and exhaustion, a constant feeling is not normal. It is not a sign of aging that you will feel exhausted. If you feel tired all the time, it could be a sign of a medical condition. This could be due to sleep apnea. A physician should consider sleep apnea a possibility for unexplained fatigue and refer the patient to a sleep clinic to be tested.

Obesity

More than half of obese people suffer from sleep apnea, but don’t know it.

There is a complicated relationship between weight and sleep disorders. Sleep apnea can make the problem worse and vice versa. Late-onset diabetes (also known as type II diabetes) is common in adults who are overweight. These three factors–obesity, diabetes, and sleep apnea -all can contribute to the development of cardiovascular and heart disease.

Weight loss is a common treatment for sleep apnea. However, most people can’t lose weight until they have been treated.

Sleep apnea is not a condition that is only experienced by overweight people. Even people who are very thin may suffer from severe sleep apnea.

Changes in alertness or memory

People with an untreated sleep disorders may notice a decline in alertness and difficulty concentrating over time. This can lead to job problems and auto accidents. Sleep apnea is a common cause of memory loss. This can be attributed to “just getting older.” But, after treatment, many of these faculties will return.

Changes in mood, personality, or behavior

Sleep apnea may mimic depression, laziness, or personality changes. Sleep apnea is often associated with increased irritability, short temper, and “crabbiness”. However, excessive daytime sleepiness, such as excessive daytime sleepiness, can also be caused by stress, job dissatisfaction, relationship problems, or stress.

Friends and family are often the first to notice signs of sleep apnea. These include a shift in sleeping or waking habits, decreased energy, decreased productivity at work, mood changes, or mood changes. Sleep apnea may be suspected if the affected person notices any of these behavior changes.

Unexpected changes in mental sharpness and personality should be a cause for concern. If they occur with apnea while sleeping, fatigue, weight gain, sleepiness, or any other symptoms listed in this article, it is possible that you have sleep apnea.

Impotence, Morning Headaches, and Bed-wetting

Sleep apnea can also cause impotence, morning headaches, and bed-wetting. Most people only have one or two of the 10 symptoms. The disorder is usually only visible in a few people.

It is important that you remember that sleep apnea symptoms can also be caused by other conditions, which could prove to be dangerous. To rule out other conditions and get the right diagnosis, anyone who suspects that they have sleep apnea should consult a specialist in sleep disorders medicine.

Summary

If a person has signs of sleep apnea, it could affect his health.

• If the person stops breathing after a period of more than 10 seconds.
• This can happen if it happens five or more times in an hour of sleep.

These are the most frequent signs and symptoms of sleep disorder called sleep apnea.

1. Loud and irregular snoring
2. Snorts, gasps, and other unusual sounds of breathing during sleep
3. Sleeping with long pauses in breathing
4. Excessive daytime sleepiness
5. Fatigue
6. Obesity
7. Alertness, memory, personality, or behavior changes
8. Impotence
9. Morning headaches
10. Bed-wetting

You should consult your doctor if you experience loud, irregular or labored breathing while sleeping, as well as any other symptoms.