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Sleep Apnea And People Who Are At Risk
It is estimated that in the United States alone, over 12 million of the adult population could be experiencing obstructive sleep apnea. It is also noted that about half of such people have one common condition: they are overweight. Thus, many researchers and experts could not help their selves but associate or link sleep apnea with excessive weight problem or obesity. This makes the condition a risk factor for any person to develop or suffer from sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition wherein the airway passage gets blocked when a person sleeps. It could cause breathing pauses for about 5 times to as much as 30 times in just an hour. It seldom leads to instant death, but the sleep disorder could lead to many health and body problems. Of course, when there is lack of sufficient oxygen level, the body would secrete stress hormones that could alter sleep or make the body tired and weary the next day. It has also been found that untreated sleep apnea could also be related to other ailments like diabetes, heart attack, hypertension, stroke and irregular heartbeat.
Sleep apnea could be treated. The problem comes in diagnosis. Usually, any person could not tell if he is experiencing sleep apnea. This is because no normal person could ever tell what happens during sleep, just like no person hears his own snoring during his sleep. Usually, it is the roommate or bed partner of the affected person who could get the attention and relay the story about sleep apnea episodes. This is because the sleep disorder could come with loud sound that could be alarming and disturbing to some.
There are identified risk factors for sleep apnea. As mentioned, excessive weight could be one. It has also been found that the condition occurs more in men than in women. In the United States alone, a middle-aged man out of 25 and a middle-aged woman out of 50 could be diagnosed with sleep apnea. This also shows that the disorder is more common in middle-aged and older adults. Researchers point out that the problem gets more common as a person ages. There is at least a person out of 10 aged 65 and higher that could experience sleep apnea. In women, they are found to be more likely to develop the condition after menopause.
It has also been noted that race could also be a factor in the occurrence of sleep apnea. Studies highlight that Pacific Islanders, African Americans, and Hispanics are more likely to have sleep apnea. In the same line, it has been found that Caucasians are less likely to suffer from it. The sleeping disorder could also be hereditary. That means that if someone in your immediate family has a history of sleep apnea, chances are higher that you would also develop the problem.
Also at risks are people who naturally have smaller airways in their throats, nose, or mouth. Small airways could be attributed to shape of structures, onset of allergies, or some other medical conditions that could lead to congestion in the areas. Enlarged tonsils in children could make them prone to sleep apnea regardless of their age.
Some research efforts have even found that the sleeping disorder could even be more common among smokers.
BONUS : Sleep Apnea Device Options
If not properly addressed, sleep apnea may result in serious and even life-threatening conditions. Excessive daytime sleepiness, hypertension, and heart failure may be some of the numerous dangers of sleep apnea. But these effects on health can be eliminated by use of a sleep apnea device that allows sufficient flow of air into the lungs.
Here are the common airflow devices available for people with sleep apnea. Though they work differently, their effect is one and the same: less or, at best, no sleep apnea events.
1. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
The most common airflow device, CPAP comes with a machine, tubes, and a mask worn over the nose. But if the person breathes with the mouth while sleeping, a full-mask, which also covers the mouth, is more apt to use. CPAP works by providing pressurized air into the body, thereby pushing the tongue forward and opening the airway. CPAP is normally recommended to people with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, though it is also shown to be effective in people with central sleep apnea. CPAP is available only upon doctors prescription.
However, CPAP is said to be a bit uncomfortable to use. Some, if not totally abandoning its use, tend to wear CPAP only for a few hours or a few days. It is for this reason that new improvements in CPAP were initiated. CPAP manufacturers, for instance, created heated humidifier to provide warm and moist air. This consequently prevents dry mouth and sore throat, the common side effects of CPAP. Ramps are also new CPAP features. They are set to provide low pressure at the onset of sleep and gradually increase it for the whole duration of sleep.
2. Bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP)
Unlike CPAP that pushes a steady level of pressure into the airway the entire sleep, BiPAP provides varied levels. Upon exhalation (breathing out), BiPAP decreases the pressure and increases it upon inhalation (breathing in). BiPAP, however, may be a little more expensive than CPAP, but some find that the varying levels of pressure it provides are more comfortable and tolerable than one, constant level CPAP offers.
3. Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV)
ASV stores breathing patterns and information in a built-in computer and uses it to prevent airflow disruptions. It does so by releasing pressure that in turn normalizes the breathing process. Compared to CPAP and BiPAP, ASV is a newly approved device. ASV has been said to produce higher success rate in addressing central sleep apnea.
4. Mouthpiece
Mouthpieces, also called oral appliances, are now commonly used to prevent breath pauses in sleep. Because they are easier to use, cheaper and smaller, they have become the alternative to CPAP. When before their use was only limited to mild and moderate obstructive sleep apnea, mouthpieces are now found effective in treating severe cases.
One of the most common mouthpieces is mandibular advancement device (MAD). Made by a dentist or orthodontist, MAS is custom-fit and looks like an athletic mouth guard. It prevents sleep apnea events by pushing the lower jaw forward and adjusting the tongue, keeping it from blocking the airway. Tongue retaining device (TRD) is another common sleep apnea device.
Held by the teeth, TRD places the tongue forward and keeps the airway open. MAS and TRD need to be prescribed by the doctor and should be FDA approved. Visits to the dentist are necessary for periodic fitting, check-up, and other concerns that may rise from using these sleep apnea devices.
If not properly addressed, sleep apnea may result in serious and even life-threatening conditions. Excessive daytime sleepiness, hypertension, and heart failure may be some of the numerous dangers of sleep apnea. But these effects on health can be eliminated by use of a sleep apnea device that allows sufficient flow of air into the lungs.
Here are the common airflow devices available for people with sleep apnea. Though they work differently, their effect is one and the same: less or, at best, no sleep apnea events.
1. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
The most common airflow device, CPAP comes with a machine, tubes, and a mask worn over the nose. But if the person breathes with the mouth while sleeping, a full-mask, which also covers the mouth, is more apt to use. CPAP works by providing pressurized air into the body, thereby pushing the tongue forward and opening the airway. CPAP is normally recommended to people with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, though it is also shown to be effective in people with central sleep apnea. CPAP is available only upon doctors prescription.
However, CPAP is said to be a bit uncomfortable to use. Some, if not totally abandoning its use, tend to wear CPAP only for a few hours or a few days. It is for this reason that new improvements in CPAP were initiated. CPAP manufacturers, for instance, created heated humidifier to provide warm and moist air. This consequently prevents dry mouth and sore throat, the common side effects of CPAP. Ramps are also new CPAP features. They are set to provide low pressure at the onset of sleep and gradually increase it for the whole duration of sleep.
2. Bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP)
Unlike CPAP that pushes a steady level of pressure into the airway the entire sleep, BiPAP provides varied levels. Upon exhalation (breathing out), BiPAP decreases the pressure and increases it upon inhalation (breathing in). BiPAP, however, may be a little more expensive than CPAP, but some find that the varying levels of pressure it provides are more comfortable and tolerable than one, constant level CPAP offers.
3. Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV)
ASV stores breathing patterns and information in a built-in computer and uses it to prevent airflow disruptions. It does so by releasing pressure that in turn normalizes the breathing process. Compared to CPAP and BiPAP, ASV is a newly approved device. ASV has been said to produce higher success rate in addressing central sleep apnea.
4. Mouthpiece
Mouthpieces, also called oral appliances, are now commonly used to prevent breath pauses in sleep. Because they are easier to use, cheaper and smaller, they have become the alternative to CPAP. When before their use was only limited to mild and moderate obstructive sleep apnea, mouthpieces are now found effective in treating severe cases.
One of the most common mouthpieces is mandibular advancement device (MAD). Made by a dentist or orthodontist, MAS is custom-fit and looks like an athletic mouth guard. It prevents sleep apnea events by pushing the lower jaw forward and adjusting the tongue, keeping it from blocking the airway. Tongue retaining device (TRD) is another common sleep apnea device.
Held by the teeth, TRD places the tongue forward and keeps the airway open. MAS and TRD need to be prescribed by the doctor and should be FDA approved. Visits to the dentist are necessary for periodic fitting, check-up, and other concerns that may rise from using these sleep apnea devices.
