The Diagnosis And Treatment Of Sleep Apnea
Heather Colman
How can I tell if I have sleep apnea and how can I treat it?
Diagnosis of sleep apnea
The typical patient with sleep apnea is an overweight
middle-aged male with a neck size of more than 17 inches.
However, the condition is also common in women and not all
sufferers are overweight. Almost everybody who has sleep apnea
is a snorer, often a very heavy snorer. Pauses in breathing
during sleep are commonly noticed by a bed partner but this
history is often lacking and up to five "events" per hour are
considered normal.
One of the more consistent symptoms is "nonrestorative sleep"
meaning that the patient wakes in the morning feeling
unrefreshed no matter how much he slept during the night.
Excessive daytime sleepiness is common in sleep apnea of any
severity but some patients complain of fatigue rather than
sleepiness. However, many patients with severe sleep apnea have
no complaint of sleepiness or fatigue.
The most accurate diagnostic tool, polysomnography, can confirm
the diagnosis and assist the doctor in identifying the type of
sleep apnea present. In the past, this test was only done in
hospitals and in specialized sleep laboratories. There are now
portable sleep recording systems that can perform unattended
polysomnography in the patient's home, but in-laboratory
testing with a technician present remains the standard and is
required by many insurers including Medicare before they will
pay for treatment of sleep apnea.
With advances in portable electronics, patients can now use a
small device called a pulse oximeter, which is attached to a
fingertip to measure the oxygen saturation of the blood
(percent of the total hemoglobin that is combined with oxygen).
This non-intrusive monitor measures the difference in the color
of the oxygenated and of the deoxygenated hemoglobins.
Recordings of blood oxygen saturation during sleep may give an
estimate of the severity of the problem although it's not been
the most reliable screening tool.
Treatment for sleep apnea
There are a variety of treatments for sleep apnea, depending on
an individual’s medical history and the severity of the
disorder. Most treatment regimens begin with lifestyle changes,
such as avoiding alcohol and medications that relax the central
nervous system (for example, sedatives and muscle relaxants),
losing weight, and quitting smoking.
Some people are helped by special pillows or devices that keep
them from sleeping on their backs. Some cases are treated with
oral appliances to keep the airway open during sleep.
If these conservative methods are inadequate, doctors often
recommend continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). A face
mask is attached to a tube and a machine that blows pressurized
air into the mask and through the airway to keep it open. There
are also surgical procedures that can be used to remove tissue
and widen the airway. Some individuals may need a combination
of therapies to successfully treat their sleep apnea.
In conclusion, sleep apnea left untreated can be life
threatening. Excessive daytime sleepiness can cause people to
fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as while driving.
Sleep apnea also appears to put individuals at risk for stroke
and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs, also known as “mini-
strokes”), and is associated with coronary heart disease, heart
failure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, gout and high blood
pressure.
Although there is no cure for sleep apnea, recent studies show
that successful treatment can reduce the risk of heart and
blood pressure problems.
Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as no
changes are made, and the entire resource box is included.
About The Author: This article is Copyright © 2006, Heather
Colman. Find more sleep apnea resources at:
http://www.sleep-apnea-news.info
See Also:
More Articles on Sleeping & Dreaming
Search to Find More Free Natural Health Information
Choose Natural Health Site Map
