Definition of Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder that is growing at an alarmingly rate in Australia. As per an estimate, more than 10 million cases of Sleep Apnea are reported every year.
Those who are affected often experience brief but repeated breathing interruptions while sleeping. And this affects their quality of sleep and thus their behaviour and performance at work and home. Apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open despite efforts to breathe. And though the disease can occur in both men and women and children, Sleep Apnea is more common in men.
However the disease is treatable. If you have sleep Apnea or think you may have it, see a sleep specialist. Whether you’re in Queensland or Gold Coast or any other city, you are likely to easily find a sleep clinic.
Symptoms
You may have sleep Apnea if you snore loudly. You may also feel tired even after a full night’s sleep. Other symptoms of this disease include:
- Disturbed sleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Depression
- Excessive sleepiness during the day
- Learning and memory difficulties
Untreated sleep Apnea is also linked with depression, diabetes, cardiac diseases, stroke, and high blood pressure. So the earlier you seek its treatment, the better your life is going to be.
Causes
Here’re risk factors that increase your chances of developing this sleep disorder.
- Being a male and overweight
- Being over 40 years old
- Family history of sleep apnea
- Nasal obstruction
- Having a large neck size and large tonsils or a large tongue or a small jaw bone
- Gastroesophageal reflux
Treatments
If it’s a milder case, your doctor may recommend you only some lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking and losing weight. Tweaking your lifestyle can help you relax and sleep well.
You may also be given devices such as CPAP that help open blocked airway passages. CPAP is the most common and reliable treatment for sleep Apnea. This machine is placed over the nose while you go to sleep. The device delivers air pressure that is just enough to keep your upper airway passages open, preventing Apnea and snoring.
Surgery is another option for treating this disease; however, surgery is often considered only when other non-surgical treatments have failed. It is a good choice for people with certain jaw structures; what a surgeon would intend to achieve through this procedure is to enlarge the airway through your nose or throat.
To determine the extent and type of disorder, a sleep specialist may like to observe you while you sleep. Tests to detect sleep Apnea may include Nocturnal Polysomnography and Home Sleep tests.
Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder and may make you susceptible to quite a number of chronic diseases and will impact your quality of life.
If a good night’s sleep has become a dream for you, it’s high time you speak with a sleep specialist. At Aviss Health, we’re a Gold Coast-based sleep clinic with a distinct and more humane approach to sleep disorders. Get in touch with one of our sleep specialists now!
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