|
Patient Information: Adult Illnesses |
What You Should Know About
Sleep Apnea
For about 18 million Americans with sleep apnea, sleep is interrupted by dozens, perhaps hundreds, of brief periods in which the airway becomes blocked. Usually, this repeated blockage partially wakes the person many times during the night, interfering with sleep and leaving the person with a host of daytime problems. In addition, sleep apnea increases the risk of hypertension and is associated with heart attacks and strokes.
For instance, the affected person may battle drowsiness during the day. The person may have trouble concentrating, organizing information, reacting, and concentrating. A severe form of sleep apnea also involves high pressures inside the arteries of the lungs, a problem that eventually can lead to heart failure. |
|
Despite these daytime effects, however, many people with sleep apnea don't know they have it until a sleeping partner complains about their snoring or disrupted breathing pattern.
Treatment and Tips
Treatment for sleep apnea involves recognition of the problem, reduction of factors that may worsen the problem, and recommendations of specific treatment methods by your doctor. Here are some major elements.
- First, if your sleeping partner complains that you snore, gulp, or stop breathing while you sleep, consider the possibility that you could have sleep apnea - especially if you battle fatigue and drowsiness during the day.
- If you're overweight, slimming down may help. Talk to your doctor about an appropriate reduced-calorie diet and exercise program.
- If your doctor recommends it, have a sleep study done in a specialized sleep lab. This test will tell you for sure whether you have sleep apnea.
- If you have sleep apnea, you may need to use a machine called CPAP that produces continuous pressure inside your airways to help keep them open while you sleep. It will help you get a good night's sleep and feel refreshed during the day.
- If you have mild sleep apnea, the doctor may recommend that you wear a dental appliance at night which moves your lower jar forward slightly and opens your airway.. Alternatively, your doctor may recommend a minor surgical procedure to create a larger space for air to move past your soft palate while you sleep.
Where to Get More Information
|
|
