If your partner is being kept awake by your snoring or your snoring is loud enough to wake you, then obstructive sleep apnea may be to blame. This condition is caused by repetitive upper airway obstruction during sleep, as a result of a narrowing of the respiratory passages.
This results in disrupted sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, and other medical disorders. However, sleep apnea can go unrecognized by both patients and doctors. In this article, we’ll discuss the symptoms of this sleep disorder and your treatment options.
The most common features in patients with obstructive sleep apnea are loud snoring, disrupted sleep, nocturnal gasping and choking, daytime sleepiness and fatigue, and a short, thick neck.
The patient is often brought to the physician’s office by a family member who is being disturbed by the patient’s loud snoring. The partner may describe episodes in which the patient stops breathing and then gives a loud gasp or snort when aroused by the apnea. These episodes may be worse after the patient drinks alcohol or takes sleep medicine because these sedatives decrease pharyngeal muscle tone.
Sleep apnea can come with other health conditions. Cardiovascular disease is common in patients. Hypertension and obesity increase the risk of cardiac disease and are frequent findings in patients with this sleep disorder. Patients with apnea who are smokers may also have coronary artery disease and obstructive airway disease.
Psychosocial problems are common in patients who have sleep apnea. These patients often have depression, mood changes, poor memory, irritability and impaired concentration. Nocturnal panic attacks have also been associated with this sleep disorder.
Sleep medicine isn’t enough to treat apnea. Specialists usually recommend weight loss, and dental devices that modify the position of the tongue or jaw. Some doctors may prescribe the use of a CPAP mask. With this method, straps hold the mask firmly over the nose and the CPAP machine that generates the positive airway pressure sits on a table next to the bed. CPAP treatment is used in most patients who have sleep apnea.
Jaw surgery is the most invasive surgical procedure used to treat this malady. The surgical procedure may be limited to pulling the tongue forward. An extensive procedure may entail moving both the mandible and maxilla. Extensive jaw surgery has a higher complication rate and a longer recovery time.
Sleepiness during the day is perhaps the least worrisome of all the side effects. It is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. The risks of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea include heart attacks, strokes, impotence, anxiety disorders, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and heart disease. The severity of the symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe but it’s best to consult a sleep clinic as soon as possible for the appropriate apnea treatment.
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