Do you have the following symptoms: constantly tends to sleep during the day, you don’t remember how to fall asleep while driving, and your loved ones have to constantly monitor you when you drive, at night you snore loudly and unevenly, waking up sharply from time to time, and gasping for breath. If any of the above happens to you, it is likely that you have sleep apnea syndrome.
What is night apnea
The concept of "apnea" literally means "lack of breathing." Episodes of sleep apnea last from a few seconds to 2-3 minutes. Patients in a dream shudder and often wake up, make gusty sighs, then fall asleep again. This is constantly alternating in a dream several hundred times during the night.
Do not confuse measured loud snoring, the harm of which can only be felt by an awakened neighbor, with apnea syndrome.
Species into which sleep apnea is divided
• Central apnea. The center in the brain that regulates breathing ceases to give the right signals so that the person can breathe.
• Obstructive apnea. The walls of the upper respiratory tract overlap, blocking the access of air.
• Mixed apnea. The combination of the previous two types of sleep disturbance is the most common form of nocturnal apnea.
The patient who suffers from this disturbance of sleep feels very ill the next morning, completely broken, as if he did not sleep at all. Imagine such a debilitating state that repeats from day to day, from month to month.
The danger of apnea
Such people walk, as if along the edge of an abyss, because they can fall asleep at any moment, in the most inappropriate place, for example, at the wheel or at work. This poses a serious threat to their safety.
In addition, high blood pressure is not uncommon in this sleep disorder. Violations of the cardiovascular system in the form of hypertrophy of the heart muscle, heart failure and stroke annually lead to the death of thousands of patients who suffer from night apnea (only in the USA, 38,000 people die every year for this reason).
Who suffers more often apnea
It is believed that men, especially after 40 years, are most often at risk of developing apnea. The risk increases with weight gain. However, even small children can get sick, and night apnea can occur at any age.
How to treat night apnea
Any treatment for sleep disorders should be carried out strictly under the supervision of a specialist. The doctor will recommend an individual course of treatment and a method that is acceptable only in your specific case.
• Conservative treatment of obstructive apnea is carried out quite effectively using a special device used during sleep. This device creates positive continuous air pressure in the airways. The patient puts on a mask overnight, into which the compressor supplies a certain portion of the air necessary to prevent apnea. Moreover, for each patient settings are made individually.
• Surgical intervention. Using a laser and radio frequency waves, the doctor removes excess tissue from the surface of the patient's larynx. This method is used if, in a conservative way, treatment did not bring tangible results.
Apparently, it is dangerous to neglect the alarm signals indicating sleep disturbance. If treatment is required, do not try to do without it, trust specialists and do not delay a visit to the doctor. Help your loved ones if you see them having symptoms of apnea so that this disease does not lead them to trouble.
Chronic insomnia can cause serious physiological abnormalities that will damage your health. Do not deprive yourself of a full and healthy sleep - lack of sleep is very dangerous!