The Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea
6163
Disease & Illness > Sleeping Disorders
Mar 1, 2007
Heather Colman
The Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea
How can I tell if I have sleep apnea and how can I treat it?
Diagnosis
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
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.
Diagnosis
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
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.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com
This article is Copyright ? 2006, Heather Colman. Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as no changes are made, and this entire resource box is included. Find more sleep apnea resources at ebookpalace.com.
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
Medications The classical use of medications for alcoholism is to encourage abstinence. Antabuse (also known as disulfiram), for instance, vents the elimination of chemicals which cause severe discomfort when alcohol is ingested, effectively
Category:
Few drug-based treatments of obstructive sleep are known despite over two decades of research and tests. Oral administration of the methylxanthine theophylline (chemically similar to caffeine) can reduce the number of episodes of
Category:
Alcoholism is a powerful craving for alcohol which often results in the compulsive consumption of alcohol. The cause of this craving is heavily debated, but the most popular beliefs are that it is a chemical or nutrional imbalance, a genetic
Category:
If you have a connection to the Internet and a computer you can easily find cheap auto insurance. With more and more businesses turning to the Internet to service their customers and increase sales, it's no wonder you see an insurance man on every
Category:
Sleep apnea, also referred to as sleep apnoea, is a common sleep disorder. It's characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. These episodes, called apneas, last 10 seconds or more and occur repeatedly throughout the night. People
Category:
How ca I tell if I have sleep apea ad how ca I treat it? Diagosis The typical patiet with sleep apea is a overweight middle-aged male with a eck size of more tha 17 iches. However, the coditio is also commo i wome ad
Category:
Current info about Annulment is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest Annulment info available. Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Annulment differs from
Category:
Yoga practitioners are probably familiar with the phrase Namaste, which is used to greet fellow practitioners at the end of every yoga session. When the phrase is accompanied with hands pressed together, prayer-like, and a small bow, it is an Indian
Category:
So what is Teeth Whitening really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about Teeth Whitening--info you can use. Tooth bleaching, also known as tooth whitening, is a common procedure in general dentistry but
Category:
What IS Carpal Tunnel? In the human wrist there is a sheath of tough connective tissue which surrounds and protects the median nerve and tendons that attach muscles to the wrist and hand bones. The Carpal Tunnel is the space above ane below
Category:
11. The Coffee Bean
Coffee is a beverage, served hot or with ice, with or without cream and sugar, prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant. These seeds are almost always called the coffee bean. Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in adults
Category:
Other links at Disease & Illness > Sleeping Disorders
The search for a way to stop snoring is big business. Pharmaceutical companies have spent who knows how much on sprays, head aids, pillows and alternative remedies and therapies to help sufferers stop snoring ? but do they work. Well, my
Category:
How ca I tell if I have sleep apea ad how ca I treat it? Diagosis The typical patiet with sleep apea is a overweight middle-aged male with a eck size of more tha 17 iches. However, the coditio is also commo i wome ad
Category:
When the airflow through your breathing passage becomes irregular due to obstruction, the soft palate starts flapping. This produces the snoring sound. Snoring can be defined as the sound made through an open mouth due to vibration of the soft palate
Category:
Whether or not they are aware, individuals who suffer from snoring are not getting a good night?s sleep. They may have headaches throughout the day, the inability to concentrate and just have an overall feeling of the blahs. Therefore, there has never
Category:
Insomnia is mainly associated with people who cannot sleep at all, however there are many types of Insomnia which prevent people from sleeping. Types of insomnia include; inability to sleep through the night, difficulty in falling asleep,waking early in
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68228
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
