Sleep apnea - a danger sign

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder. Large snoring may be a sign of sleep apnea, a common disease in obese people. The disease increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, can even be fatal in some cases due to hypertension, arrhythmia.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a partially or completely obstructed airway condition while sleeping, causing breathing stops and awakening.

Some large studies in the United States also showed that sleep apnea may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, even leading to death in some cases because it causes hypertension. pressure, arrhythmia, increased red blood cells, sleep apnea increased by 2.5 and 3.4 times, respectively, the risk of dying from cancer .

Sleep apnea may occur due to infertility of the larynx, so the throat is collapsed during inhalation; or due to structural abnormalities of the oropharynx, narrowing the airway. Risk factors include: obesity; structural abnormalities of the oropharyngeal organs such as the lower jaw bone, too large tongue, or hypertrophy of the tonsils .; drinking alcohol or sleeping pills before bed; nasal obstruction (a cold or a sagging nose).

A Polysomnography test is the best way to diagnose sleep apnea

Patients with sleep apnea are difficult to recognize their condition. Usually, a diagnosis must be based on a complex Polysomnography test at the hospital.

Signs of sleep apnea

1. You are sleepy all day

Daytime sleepiness is one of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea. It appears more in men than women, Dr. Chernobilsky, sleep expert and trachea of ​​Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical System, New York said. When we sleep, the muscles become relaxed. This state facilitates soft tissue in the back of the throat, blocking the airway.

Sleep apnea is caused by soft tissues behind the throat that block the airway

In sleep, the brain is still working. But in this case, it will fail to direct you to breathe. The brain is forced to wake you up and sleep becomes interrupted. Patients often wake up in the night . But the vague state made them not realize it. Going through such a night will make them sleepy all day.

2. You wake up with a headache

Make sure you didn't drink any beer the night before, but you still wake up with a head that feels like a hammer. Lack of sleep caused by apnea may be the cause of this problem. Even if you are sure that you sleep for 7 to 8 hours, sleep apnea makes your sleep time much shorter. Shockingly, people with severe sleep apnea can be awakened hundreds of times each night, according to the Stanford Center for Sleep Science and Medicine.

3. You go to the bathroom but don't do anything

" Many people wake up in the middle of the night and don't know why. So they think they need to urinate," said Dr. Chernobilsky. They unconsciously went to the toilet even though there was no need. Many patients want to seek reasons for their waking up. Until they learn about sleep apnea, they will understand the problem.

4. You are more irritable

Lack of sleep may be the reason for your irritability, not an external cause as you might think. Mood changes, increased stress and anxiety are silent signs of sleep apnea. Many studies show that these people are more stressed, angry, sad and depressed, according to Harvard Medical School's Department of Sleep Medicine.

5. You drive unsafe

" Traffic accidents are also one of the signs of sleep apnea , " Dr. Chernobilsky said. A 2015 study by Sleep magazine found that people with sleep apnea were 2.5 times more likely to cause traffic accidents.

Researchers said in a press release, extremely sleepy during the day and having time to close their eyes for less than five hours was the cause of distraction. In the same study, the number of traffic accidents caused by sleep apnea patients decreased by 70%, when they received intensive treatment.

6. You are hungry throughout the day

When you are disturbed by sleep apnea, the release of hormones of the body will also be disordered. It will increase the concentration of Ghrelin, hormones that stimulate appetite. Meanwhile, reducing Leptin, hormones give a feeling of fullness.

That means you can feel more hungry throughout the day, Dr. Chernobilsky said. Even your body may be resistant to insulin and start leading to type 2 diabetes.

7. Having trouble in bed

" Impotence is a sign of sleep apnea in men. Many people think that it comes from low testosterone or stress. But the reason is simply that you are having sleep apnea." Dr. Chernobilsky said.

Studies have shown that men's " impotence " is twice as common in people who sleep apnea, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Bad sleeps are simple things you can blame in this case.

8. Children who do poorly

Sleep apnea attacks children."It may be the cause of the cranky or drowsy children in class. Meanwhile, many parents get the misdiagnosis that their children have a lack of concentration , " Chernobilky said.
In 2015, a combined review of 16 studies of sleep apnea in children showed that they had worse outcomes in most subjects, from art, foreign languages ​​to math and physics experiments. . Pay attention to your baby's sleep.

9. Children peeing

Your child is old enough to know to go to the toilet, but they start peeing back. Consider them sleeping apnea. Dr. Chernobilsky said: " When the child's breathing is disturbed, the oxygen level in the blood decreases. This also causes their bladder to lose its function."

Treatment

The treatment depends on the cause but will give better results if multiple measures are applied, but non-medication measures should be considered first. At least 50% of patients with obstructive sleep apnea are obese, so losing weight is the most important and effective measure that needs to be applied first. If combined with weight loss with other treatments will be more effective. Quitting smoking, limiting alcohol consumption before going to bed and avoiding sleeping pills . all work well. If the patient is a menopausal woman, the treatment of hormone replacement will reduce sleep apnea and snoring.

Should treat ear and nose diseases such as rhinitis, nasal polyps, septal defect, or sinusitis . to reduce resistance in the respiratory tract and limit the situation of narrowed larynx causing airway obstruction. Sometimes patients need surgery to remove these causes. Need for chiropractic treatment of abnormalities that cause airway narrowing, such as removal of the tongue, removal of the tonsils if it is too big, some people have to open the trachea.

Patients with sleep apnea may use the lower jaw splint tool . It is designed specifically for each person, fitting snugly to the upper and lower jaws. This device pushes the jaw bone forward, thus increasing the area of ​​the oropharynx, expanding the airway. Patients will wear this device when going to bed.

Some patients with severe or frequent sleep apnea may need supportive respiratory treatment with special tools or breathing aids.