Are you scheduled for a surgery?
In that case, you must think about getting yourself screened for sleep apnea which is a potentially serious sleep disorder, and if left untreated, can ruin your health in the long-term.
Sleep disorders like sleep apnea often go unnoticed in Australia, and thus it may be more common than we think, says sleep disorder specialist Dr. Himanshu Garg, Director, Aviss Health
Why sleep apnea screening before a surgery?
The presence of sleep apnea is likely to create complications for you, post-surgery and therefore, we recommend that every patient should be screened for sleep apnea before he/she undergoes a surgery, be it a bariatric or weight loss surgery or any other surgical procedure.
By not getting screened and treated for this sleep disorder, the sleep apnea patient is at an increased risk to develop respiratory and cardiovascular complications in the post-surgery days, says Dr. Himanshu. The patient can suffer from complications including heart attack or stroke, diabetes, irregular heart rhythms, high blood pressure, and even death.
Diagnosing sleep apnea
You will be required to fill out an easy questionnaire the answers will help the physician determine whether you can have sleep apnea.
If the physician suspects its presence, you may be asked to undergo a sleep study which is an overnight test conducted by a trained sleep technologist at a sleep center like Aviss Health. Patient can opt for home sleep study as well. In the study, wires are attached to different parts of your body to monitor and record your vital brain, eye, and heart movements while you sleep. The data is later interpreted by a sleep specialist.
Surgery for patients with sleep apnea
If you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea, you may be asked to start PAP therapy right away. And though there are several treatment options available to the doctor, Positive Airway Pressure or PAP is the most preferred treatment choice for this disorder.
Through continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP, your upper airway is kept open while you sleep, allowing you a sound sleep throughout the night. Post-surgery, you continue with the therapy while the team closely monitors you for the vital signs for complications and /or recovery.
Don’t wait for the surgery to seek treatment for sleep apnea
Seriously, don’t wait till you’re scheduled for a surgery sleep apnea, if left untreated, can prove fatal for your life. The wisdom lies in speaking with your family doctor if you doubt you might have this sleep disorder. He/ she will then most probably send you to meet a sleep specialist, who will then further examine you.
How would you know you’ve developed sleep apnea?
Look out for the most common symptoms of this sleep disorder which include:
- Feeling chocked or gasping for air in the sleep
- Loud snoring that even disturbs your partner
- Excessive daytime sleepiness which further impacts your overall productivity at work
- Other symptoms of this sleep disorder include difficulty concentrating, headaches, depression, etc. If you’ve not been sleeping well these days, try speaking with a sleep specialist.
For more on sleep apnea and its screening before a surgery, speak with our sleep specialists at Aviss Health, Gold Coast. We’d love to answer your queries.
Our contact details:
M: 9871-61-3322, 9871-16-2255
T: 0124-4104679
E-mail: wecare@avisshealth.com
