SLEEP APNEA AWARENESS

Being Aware of SLEEP APNEA, will help us understand and do necessary actions to avoid, control and treat SLEEP APNEA.

What is SLEEP APNEA?

SLEEP APNEA, which in Greek word means "Without breath", is one of the "Sleeping Disorders" where breathing is interrupted during sleep. It is mostly unrecognizeable but it is a major threat to once life. You may think that you don't have this type of disorder but it's not a bad thing to know what is sleep apnea. It's cause, symtomps and it's prevention. This disorder not only occurs on men, women, old or young but also children as young as 5 years old or below

There are 3 types of SLEEP APNEA.

1. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea. It occurs when the soft tissue in the back of your throat relaxes during sleep, causing a blockage of the airway (as well as loud snoring).
2. Central sleep apnea is a much less common type of sleep apnea that involves the central nervous system, rather than an airway obstruction. It occurs when the brain fails to signal the muscles that control breathing. People with central sleep apnea seldom snore.
3. Complex sleep apnea is a combination of obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea is more common in males and people over the age of 65. However, central sleep apnea is often associated with serious illness, such as heart disease, stroke, neurological disease, or spinal or brainstem injury.

Ironically, according to ScienceDaily (Aug. 15, 2012) — New research from Umeå and Uppsala universities has found high rates of sleep apnea in women, despite the condition usually being regarded as a disorder predominantly of males.

There were 400 women from a random sample of 10,000 women aged 20-70 years who were studied and analized. The participants answered a questionnaire and underwent a sleep examination.

The results found that obstructive sleep apnea was present in 50% of women aged 20-70 years. The researchers also found obesity and hypertension: 80% of women with hypertension and 84% of obese women suffered from sleep apnea.

Additionally, severe sleep apnea was present in 31% of obese women aged 55-70 years old.

With these above mentioned, you already have an idea of what to check or do to guard your health. Remember that, untreated SLEEP APNEA can lead to serious health problems over time.

According to Dr. Rami Khayat of Ohio State University, "Every time the oxygen level drops, the blood pressure goes up. The adrenaline surges in the body. The heart starts working hard against the elevated blood pressure". Imagine how exhausted your heart would be when your oxygen flactuated?

Going to a doctor for a medical check up can be so expensive. So what you can do to self-diagnose SLEEP APNEA before going to a Doctor are the following.

1. Asked someone or a bedmate to observe your sleeping habbit. Record your sleeping time on a Camera, so you can review it when you wake up.
2. Recall if you have had, choking or gasping experience during sleep. Waking up feeling out of breath.
3. If you snored while you sleep, observe your mood when you wake up. Normal snoring doesn’t interfere with the quality of your sleep or your mood on the next day. A person who has SLEEP APNEA more or less likely to suffer from extreme fatigue and sleepiness during the day.

For Children younger than 5 years old, observe the following:

1. Mouth Breathing.
2. Restlessness while sleeping.
3. Waking up a lot

For 5 years old;
1. Bed wetting
2. Doing poorly in school
3. Not growing as quickly as they should for their age. This may be the only symptom in some children. These children may also have behavior problems and a short attention span.

If the results of the above mentioned were NEGATIVE, then GOOD. However you need to take note of certain RISK factors that may result to SLEEP APNEA.

1. Overweight - Fat deposits around your upper airway may obstruct your breathing.
2. Having a large neck size (17 inches or greater in men and 16 inches or greater in women) - People with a thicker neck may have a narrower airway.
3. Age - Sleep apnea occurs significantly more often in adults older than 60.
4. Family history - If you have family members with sleep apnea, you be at risk
5. Use of alcohol, sedatives or tranquilizers. -These substances relax the muscles in your throat.
6. Smoking - may increase the amount of inflammation and fluid retention in the upper airway
7. Nasal congestion. If you have difficulty breathing through your nose — whether it's from an anatomical problem or allergies — you're more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea.

The best way to avoid developing SLEEP APNEA is to;
1. Watch your DIET.
2. Stop smoking and Limit Alchohol intake
3. Treat illnesses that restrict your breathing. A build up of mucus in the nose or sinuses may block up your windpipe at night. Use a decongestant before going to bed to help clear this up. Avoid anything that will make you drowsy and relax your throat muscles.

If illness remains for an extended period, contact your doctor. A proper diagnostics and treatment could help us save our lives.

-rcc