Are Sleep Apnea Ruining Your Life?
Do you awake early in the day as exhausted as you did the night before? Do you have a doctor tell you that you are prone to snore and have trouble breathing during sleep? It is possible you suffer from Sleep Apnea. Learn details about the signs and the diagnosis for this condition.
What exactly is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep Apnoea or as it is also known, Sleep Apnea, is a fairly common issue. It can cause sleep disruptions that can lead to fatigue and less awareness in awake hours, headaches in the morning or a dry throat after you awake.
The medical definition of Apnea is the cessation of breathing that lasts at minimum 10 seconds. The medical condition referred to as “Sleep Apnea” is a disorder in which patients stop breathing and suffer from frequent apneas for extended durations of time while asleep.
The most frequent kind that is most commonly seen is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (or OSA) and this is where the airway become blocked or collapsed while you sleep. If you attempt to breathe, air that passes through the obstruction usually triggers loud snoring that is almost always linked to OSA. In the event of an apnea condition, when breathing ceases and oxygen levels drop, the amount in your blood decreases because your lungs don’t receive oxygen or fresh air for replenishing your blood supply in the exchange of carbon dioxide until it is at dangerously low levels, which are enough to cause the brain to disturb your sleep. The reflex action that follows helps to tighten the muscles in your upper airway, and also opens the airway.
Normal breathing resumes typically by a body jerk, the sound of choking or snorting, and generally without conscious of what has occurred.
Factors that have been proven to increase the likelihood of OSA include the presence of a background of sleeping apnoea in the family the presence of a neck that is large or chin that is recessed, male sex, irregularities within the airway’s structure smoking, alcohol use or excessive weight.
Obstructive sleep apnoea is most often in those with weight issues, however it can be a problem for everyone.
What are the signs? Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
There isn’t any blood or any other post-event test to diagnose the condition which is why it is typically diagnosed based on remarks or complaints from friends or family members who have been concerned by your frequent gasping, choking, or snoring throughout your sleep and the long times when you are unable to breathe completely while you sleep.
Sleep Apnea is a potentially life-threatening issue due to the decreased quality of sleep and frequent decreases in blood oxygen levels in the apnea which triggers an increase in stress hormones. These hormones, along with other factors, increase the heart rate and increase the risk of having hypertension and other cardiovascular illnesses and issues.
More obscure but potentially more serious medical issues that may be caused or aggravated by the condition are impotency, weight gain, depression, memory loss or irritable mood swings as well as personality issues. Sleep apnea can have a significant effects on your lifestyle and health without conscious of it. It may be ruining your life!
So What Do You Do?
Your partner is concerned about your breathing, or your snoring. You are always exhausted throughout the day, and you think you may be suffering from a sleeping disorder. What do you do?
First, make for an appointment to see your family doctor in order to talk about your worries. The doctor will then make an appointment to meet with an expert in sleep and undertake a sleep study.
Prior to your appointment , it is recommended to keep your sleep journal for at least a couple of days or even more with you, or perhaps your partner in bed taking note of your sleeping patterns and if you’re having difficulties breathing at night, any obvious breath gaps, choking or gasping as well as your snoring. Also note the volume of it, and how your sleep position affects it, also how it feels as you get up and later during the day.
It is also important to note any other irregularities that might be noted, like legs moving or restlessness while sleeping , and also in the day when it appears that you fell to sleep or get really tired.
Making a video recording of your sleep may also help your Sleep Specialist in the initial diagnosis.
The Sleep Specialist will typically perform an examination of your throat to determine physical reasons behind the snoring and sleep apnea’s as well as assess your suitability to various treatments. If the doctor suspects you might be experiencing Sleep Apnea they will usually ask you to undergo an examination of your sleep to document your sleep habits and your sleeping patterns in a safe and monitored setting.
It is typically the first step in the process of diagnosis and ultimately treatment for sleep apnea. The dangers of failure to take action, especially if you’re suffering from Sleep Apnea sufferer, are too high to ignore and shouldn’t be dismissed lightly. If you suspect you suffer from a sleep disorder like Sleep Apnea take steps now and get yourself evaluated as it could be lifesaving step (yours).