Your snoring can be more than an annoyance to your partner. It can also be a sign of a serious sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that can have long terms effects on your health. Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition that occurs when the upper airway becomes obstructed by a narrowing of the respiratory passages. It can disrupt your breathing and unknowingly wake you up countless times during the night. Consequently, you won't get the deep sleep that you need to function well when awake. In this article, we'll detail the symptoms of this disorder and your apnea treatment options.
The most common characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea are loud snoring, disrupted sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness. Patients with OSA suffer from fragmented sleep and may develop cardiovascular abnormalities because of the repetitive cycles of snoring, airway collapse and waking up contribute to decreased oxygen levels in vital organs. Although most patients with OSA are overweight and have a short, thick neck, some are of normal weight but have a small, receding jaw. Many patients are not aware of their heavy snoring and nocturnal arousals, this nocturnal sleep disorder may remain undiagnosed.
Sleep apnea may contribute to other serious health conditions. Cardiovascular illneses associated with OSA are high blood pressure, arrythmias, coronary artery disease and elevated pressure in the lungs called pulmonary hypertension. OSA may also contribute to respiratory problems including obstructive airway disease. Psychosocial problems are also common in patients who have OSA. These patients often have depression, mood changes, poor memory, irritability, impaired concentration, and daytime sleepiness. Nocturnal panic attacks have also been associated with this type of disorder.
Sleep medicines are ineffective and not appropriate for the treatment of OSA. Medical professionals usually recommend weight loss, and dental devices that modify the position of the tongue or jaw. Some physicians may refer the patient for a sleep disorder study, where the sleep specialist will be able to observe and document the sleep disorder and may prescribe the use of a CPAP mask. This mask placed over the nose and sometimes the mouth as well,attached to a CPAP machine, generates the positive airway pressure necessary to improve the oxygenation of the vital organs during sleep. Jaw surgery is the most invasive surgical procedure used to treat OSA in only the most severe cases of OSA. The surgical procedure may be limited to pulling the tongue forward. Extensive jaw surgery has a higher complication rate and a longer recovery time.
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 discuss these symptoms of a sleep disorder with a medical professional so that the correct diagnosis and appropriate medical treatment can be given to the individual patient.
