The sleeping disorder “Sleep Apnea” is defined by an average failure of 10 breaths per hour. OSA or obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form. The cause is a blockage of the airway when the muscles relax during sleep. Soft tissue in the airway collapses and together with e.g. a large tongue, enlarged soft palate and excess fat in the neck press on the airway and block it.
Just a fraction of those suffering from sleep apnea are diagnosed with CSA or Central Sleep Apnea, where the brain fails to sufficiently initiate the breathing.
Sleep apnea needs immediate attention, as it is considered a serious medical condition. If you can try to find ways to cure sleep apnea. This is because of the medical complications it commonly causes:
Cardiovascular problems
When the blood oxygen level suddenly drops during sleep apnea the blood pressure increases (trying to offset the drop).That can be an enormous strain on the cardiovascular system. Hypertension is the condition of increased blood pressure that increases two or three times by OSA. The risk of blood pressure increases with the severity of sleep apnea. Independently from the presence of high blood pressure, sleep apnea strongly increases the risk of stroke.
A precondition of heart disease combined with the oxygen deprivation can lead to sudden death through a cardiac event. The strong link between sleep apnea and vascular diseases, atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure has been shown in several studies. Obstructive sleep apnea is often the cause or contributing cause for heart diseases.
Central sleep apnea in contrast, more often is the result of an existing heart disease.
Sleep Deprivation and Daytime Fatigue.
Sleep apnea leads to repeated awakenings and an overall shallower sleep during night, which does not allow for a restful sleep. This results in extensive drowsiness during daytime and an imminent lack of concentration. It also leeds to moodiness and irritability due to this overall fatigue.Especially when driving a car or concentrating on (school-)work, fatigue can add additional risk and lead to worse performance and frustration.Other problems reported by patients suffering from sleep apnea are mood swings or feelings of depression, memory glitches and morning headaches.
Complications with surgery and certain medication.
Patients with sleep apnea can be more likely to have complications after surgery because they are likely to have breathing problems when sedated and lying on the back. Also the recovery after surgery is hardened through the breathing problems with sleeping aids. Undiagnosed sleep apnea is a huge risk for surgery. A previously diagnosed sleep apnea has to be discussed with the doctor prior to surgery.
Partners do not get enough sleep.
Everybody who snores will experience this at some point. Everybody sharing a room with you will most likely be disturbed and complain about not getting a good night’s sleep. This can lead to disruptions in the relationship and lead to partners not sleeping in the ame room.
Nocturia.
The blood gets more acidic when the oxygen level decreases and carbon dioxide level increases leading to a drop in the heart rate and contraction of the heart vessels. The body signals it’s problem to the brain and the patient wakes up. Now the heart rate is very fast and it reports excess fluid. The protein in charge of carrying the signal will initiate the dispose of excess sodium and water.
Impotence/Sexual Dysfunction (ED).
A strong link between sleep apnea and ED has been shown in recent studies. Initially it was thought to be the result of oxygen deprivation during the night that harms the cardiovascular system.Nowadays studies show, that the erections that naturally occur during REM sleep have an essential role in maintaining the erectile function Sleep apnea in most cases prevent extended REM stages.
However, there is also a strong statistical link between ED and obesity which again is the most important cause for sleep apnea.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
There have been recent studies, showing that sleep apnea and acid reflux are strongly linked. Almost 50% of the patients with sleep apnea experienced GERD. As the GERD symptoms increase at night, it has been suggested that the back up of acid in the stomach can lead to vocal chord (larynx) spasms, obstructing the airway and causing apnea. Up to now, it could not be proved, that a cure for acid reflux also helpa limiting the risk of sleep apnea.Also an apnea can cause a pressure change in the throat that again can lead to GERD.However, there is a strong link between GERD and obesity, that might simulate the connection between GERD and sleep apnea. A direct connection is therefore hard to prove.
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Posted under Sleep Apnea Cause
This post was written by assistant on December 24, 2010


