It’s a frightening thought that a person may unknowingly stop breathing hundreds of times and, yet, be completely unaware of the condition. Enter sleep apnea: a serious disorder that ironically occurs during the time when the body should be resting and recuperating. Sleep apnea prevents those processes from actually taking place. Your Melbourne ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor can assist in identifying sleep apnea.
Generally two types of sleep apnea exist:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is experienced when the upper airway is either completely (apnea) or partially (hypopnea) blocked during sleep. Because the airway is obstructed, the body – chest and diaphragm – struggles to fill the lungs with air. Breathing then continues with a sharp intake of air (possibly witnessed as gasping or snorting) and/or a jolting or jerking of the body. This may completely awaken the individual, but often it is just enough to disturb deep sleep, and the patient is commonly unaware of the symptom.
Central sleep apnea (CSA): In this type of sleep apnea, the way the brain functions is the cause for the disruption of breathing during sleep. Breathing is not prevented due to obstruction, but rather the lack of signals from the brain to the respiratory muscles results in absence of breathing.
Apnea symptoms include, but are not limited to: tiredness, daytime fatigue, and loud snoring. There are other symptoms, though, that a patient may ignore or trivialize such as: headaches in the morning, sore throat, dry mouth, impaired memory, inability to concentrate, and reduced energy and vigor.
The consequences of ignoring these symptoms can be serious for one’s health and longevity. Untreated sleep apnea may contribute to heart disease and may aggravate medical conditions such as high blood pressure. OSA may also be linked to strokes, and OSA may be a contributing factor in causing a stroke.
Naturally, problems can’t be treated unless one is aware of them, and a medical condition cannot be diagnosed properly without understanding a patient’s symptoms. Many apnea sufferers are made aware of their symptoms by their family or significant others (i.e, loud snoring, witnessed gasping for air); but for those that sleep alone, a sleep study should be considered.
The sooner the symptoms are discussed, observed and diagnosed with a doctor, the sooner proper treatment can be provided. People should not marginalize their symptoms and should take the initiative to see an ENT or a sleep medicine physician now.
