Sabtu, 06 Agustus 2011

Sleep Apnea Is Not As Benign As It Sounds

By Adriana Noton


Sleep apnea is a medical condition with brief, repetitious episodes of breathing cessation during sleep. The effects on the body are cumulative from chronic, inadequate rest that impact memory, create excessive, chronic fatigue with poor reactive ability. The byproducts are increased risks for accidents, inability to focus and less productivity on the job.

The three classifications of apnea are Obstructive (OSA), Central (CSA) and Complex, which is a combination of the other two forms. Obstructive is most common and occurs as muscular relaxation allows lax musculature to fall and block the airway. Central begins in the CNS, when the brain does not transmit the correct signals to the respiratory muscles that serve breathing. Causative factors can be fat accumulation in the neck due to obesity, or disease that impacts the respiratory or central nervous system.

This sleep-time disorder exhibits signs that can be part of other conditions. Chronic, daytime fatigue, waking with dry mouth, sore throat or morning headaches and insomnia need to be assessed for conclusive diagnosis. Personality changes can impact social lives and the workplace with mood swings, aggression and impaired motivational drive. Consultation with your physician is necessary to unravel the mystery of your symptoms, rule out complicating health conditions and effectively seek corrective treatment.

Risks increase with being male, stress, including anxiety and depression. High-blood pressure, cardiovascular or arteriovascular disease or a narrowed airway place individuals at risk. Obesity, large neck circumference measured at beyond 17-inches, family history, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, excessive alcohol, mind-altering drugs, aging, senility and hypothyroidism increase the risk of disorders related to apnea.

Apnea carries the risk for consequences that range from potentially serious to life-threatening. The risk for accidents while driving or operating machinery resulting from lack of adequate rest is considerable. Heart conditions creating arrhythmia's or congestive heart failure are not uncommon with episodes of chronic oxygen deprivation present with this disorder. Inadequate levels of oxygen to the brain can result in permanent, debilitating brain injury or death.

Apnea is usually first suspected through the symptoms reported by a partner. A complete physical is followed by laboratory tests that confirm oxygen levels in the blood, an electroencephalogram to record brain waves and a polysomnogram study performed in a controlled, sleep laboratory that measures breathing cessation and resumption patterns a one-night sleepover period. The compilation of data is used to confirm positive or negative conclusion.

Milder cases of this disorder may be treated with weight loss or abstaining from a tobacco habit. If these measure are unsuccessful, an oral appliance designed to keep the throat open by bringing the jaw forward is an option. Continuous positive airway pressure can benefit patients unless the mask feels uncomfortably claustrophobic, making compliance unlikely. Surgery is generally reserved for severe, life-threatening cases.

Surgery and some successful lifestyle changes can be curative. Otherwise, all measures strive to improve the quality of life for patients and prevent the consequences of uncontrolled sleep apnea Ottawa. Daytime fatigue is sometimes helped through medication. All supportive measures to control the disorder are a lifetime patient responsibility.




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