Important Information Concerning Sleep Apnea
Sleep disorders are disorders in the sleeping patterns of humans or animals. A common type of this disorder is sleep apnea. This disorder is marked by shallow inhales or exhales or pauses in breathing during sleep, which are considered abnormal. Apnea is the term used to define pauses in breathing. Hypopnea is used to define the slight breaths. An overnight test, called a polysomnogram, can be conducted to determine if the disorder is present in an individual.
Obstructive; central; and complex or mixed are the three kinds of this apnea. Obstructive is when breathing is interrupted by a physical block to their airflow despite respiratory effort. Snoring often accompanies this form. Central is when there is a lack of respiratory effort that interrupts the normal breathing cycle. Many individuals who suffer from these disorders are 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.
Most treatment will begin with some form of behavioral therapy. Some mild cases can be treated by change in lifestyle. For instance, resting on the side of the body, not taking sleep pills and avoiding alcoholic beverages. Moderate or severe cases are usually handled using APAP, automatic positive airway pressure or CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure. A dentist may suggest oral appliance therapy. This form of treatment involves the use of a custom mouthpiece, which opens the airway by shifting the lower jaw forward. Surgery, which has a cure rate of approximately 95 percent, is the most long-lasting and effective 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.
There are many men and women who suffer from these disorders. Often they occur during middle ages. Though many people are unaware that they suffer from these problems, the development of sleep disorder clinics around the world has raised awareness and treatment.
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.
July 17, 2011 | Posted by Adriana Noton
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