Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder bunch , in which patients who are experiencing sleep repeatedly stop breathing ( apnea ) in quite a long time to cause a reduction in the amount of oxygen in the blood and the brain and causes the increase of carbon dioxide .
CAUSE
There are two types of sleep apnea :
1 . Obstructive Sleep apnea , caused by a blockage in the throat or upper airway
2 . Centralist Sleep apnea , is caused by a malfunction in the brain that regulate breathing .
In obstructive sleep apnea , sometimes the low oxygen and high carbon dioxide prolonged , can cause a reduction in brain sensitivity to these disorders , sleep apnea so there centralist .
Obstructive sleep apnea usually occurs in obese men , especially those who sleep supine . The disorder is less common in women .
Obesity , along with the aging of the body tissues and other factors , is likely to cause narrowing of the upper airway .
Risk factors for the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea are :
- Smoking tobacco
- Excessive use of alcohol
- Lung disease (such as emphysema ) .
Throat and upper airways narrow , can be lowered , so that sleep apnea has a genetic predisposition .
Obstructive Sleep apnea syndrome
SYMPTOMS
The most common symptom is snoring accompanied by episodes of shortness of breath , choking and woke up suddenly .
In severe cases , patients experience attacks choking during sleep are repeated , either at night or during the day .
This attack affects work during the day and increase the risk of complications .
Sleep apnea is severe and can lead to chronic headaches , daytime sleepiness , mental activity becomes slow and heart failure and lung disorders , in which the lungs are not able to provide enough oxygen and disposing of carbon dioxide .
Diagnosis
In the early stages , the diagnosis is often made based on the symptoms described by the patient roommates .
In order to confirm the diagnosis and determine the severity of the disease , should be examined in the sleep lab , which is called by overnight polysomnography examination .
On examination , the patient slept the night in a sleep laboratory and connected to electrodes to measure the stage of sleep and other physiological parameters .
The results of this analysis can help differentiate obstructive sleep apnea with sleep apnea central .
TREATMENT
The first step that must be taken by penderit obstructive sleep apnea are :
- Stop smoking
- Reducing the use of alcohol
- Lose weight .
Patients often sleep snoring or choking during sleep , should not be taking tranquilizers or sleeping pills .
For patients with central sleep apnea is usually given respirator is worn during sleep .
It is important to change the sleeping position , snoring is recommended for people who sleep on their side or stomach .
If the above measures do not alleviate the symptoms , could be given positive airway pressure continuously through an oxygen mask that will deliver a mixture of air and oxygen through the nose .
This tool can keep keep airways open so that breathing becomes more regular .
Tracheostomy ( surgery to create a permanent hole in the air tube through the neck ) are rarely performed .
Sometimes other surgery done to widen the upper airway and reduce symptoms .
But the above two measures are rarely necessary .
