Recharge Your Energy: Discover the Secret Sleep Apnoea Remedy!

Sleep apnea is a condition in which your breathing stops and restarts many times while you sleep. Because the stoppage of breathing in between sleep, you will not get sufficient oxygen which is needed. The resulting lack of oxygen activates a reflex that wakes you up just enough to resume breathing and it interrupts your sleep cycle preventing restful sleep.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition in which your breathing stops and restarts many times while you sleep. Because the stoppage of breathing in between sleep, you will not get sufficient oxygen which is needed. The resulting lack of oxygen activates a reflex that wakes you up just enough to resume breathing and it interrupts your sleep cycle preventing restful sleep. It can also cause stress on your heart that can have potentially deadly consequences.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

The main symptoms of sleep apnea are:

• Snoring
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Restless sleep
• Observed apnea, choking, or gasping episodes (Mostly observed by bed partner)
• Not feeling fresh in the morning
• Memory loss
• Depression
• Decreased attention
• Personality or mood changes
• Sexual dysfunction
• Morning and nocturnal headaches
• Night sweating
• Night bedwetting (In children)

Types of Sleep Apnea

There are two main types of sleep apnea:

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Occurs when there is any blockage or reduced space for the air to pass starting from the nose to your lungs, causing decreased airflow. This is the most common type of sleep apnea. This type of patient should approach an ENT surgeon and get evaluated.
• Central Sleep Apnea: Happens when your brain does not send the signals needed to breathe. Health conditions that affect how your brain controls your airway and chest muscles can cause central sleep apnea. These patients need neurology consultation and neurology care.

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea

1. Polysomnography: Polysomnography, also called a sleep study, should be done to know the type and severity of sleep apnea.
2. Awake Fiberoptic Nasolaryngopharyngoscopy: A fiberoptic scope should be passed through the nose to the larynx, and the patient's airway should be examined to see for any airway narrowing. This is done in all cases of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
3. Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy: This is a procedure done in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea, in which we will give sedation to the patient and make them sleep mimicking the normal sleep condition. An endoscope will be passed through the nose for a thorough examination of the whole airway. During this procedure, we can see the narrowing of the airway at different levels which causes sleep apnea.

Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The approach to the management of sleep apnea differs from patient to patient. It varies depending on a patient's build, their endoscopic evaluation, and sleep evaluation reports. Different modalities include:

• Lifestyle Modification: Patients should make dietary changes depending on their BMI, stop alcohol consumption, smoking, and follow a healthy diet pattern.
• Medical Management: No absolute medicine is there for Obstructive sleep apnea.
• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy (CPAP): It keeps the airway open by gently providing a constant stream of positive pressure air through a mask. The patient should sleep with the mask.
• Oral Appliances: There are certain appliances like Mandibular Advancement Devices which can be used by the patient.
• Surgical Management: There are various surgical procedures that can be used in the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. All surgical procedures aim to widen the airway to give a hassle-free sleep to the patient.

Takeaway

Snoring is not the only symptom associated with sleep apnea. Different patients may have different symptoms in this disease. The treatment protocol is tailor-made for each patient. The patient may need a multilevel evaluation by an ENT surgeon, Pulmonologist, and other specialties as indicated.