Danilo Díaz Granados Manglano: Sleep Apnea, a Condition that Deserves Proper Treatment

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common, yet grave, condition that occurs whenever regular breathing is interrumpted during sleep.

Snoring is common in apnea patients, but not all snorers suffer from apnea.

There are two main types of apnea:

• • Obstructive Sleep Apnea: By far the most common type of apnea, it occurs whenever airflow is blocked during sleep, usually whenever the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep. Some health issues, such as obesity, can contribute.
  • Central Sleep Apnea: Occurs as a result from an issue stemming from the way the brain controls breathing muscles. Breathing isn’t blocked, but the brain doesn’t tell the muscles they must work, so breathing simply stops. This type of apnea can result in heart failure, brain tumors, brain infections and strokes

What causes apnea

Issues related to both physical health and lifestyle can help make sleep apnea occur.

Physical issues

You are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea if:

• • You are male.
  • You are a menopausal woman.
  • You have thickened tonsils (common in children)
  • You have a retracted chin, leading to an overbite.
  • Hypothyroidism.
  • Your nose is blocked due to congestion, a cold, nasal polyps or wounds.

Lifestyle issues

You are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea if:

• • You are overweight and have excessive fat around your neck (especially if the neck is thicker than 16’’), though people without weight issues can also suffer from apnea.
  • You drink alcohol at night.
  • You take sedatives.
  • You smoke.

If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to a series of issues, including:

• • High blood-pressure
  • Strokes
  • Cardiac arrest, arrhythmia and heart attacks
  • Diabetes
  • Depression
  • ADHD

If you suspect you may be suffering from sleep apnea, go to your local doctor. They will ask you about your symptoms and examine you. If your partner has noticed your breathing patterns alter while you sleep, it may be helpful for them to join you at the doctor’s to describe the symptoms.

The doctor may grade your lack of sleep through the use of tests such as Epworth’s Sleepiness Scale.

If your doctor diagnoses you with sleep apnea, they may point you to a specialist or sleep clinic, or recommend a more specific treatment.

• Android