Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment

Sleep apnea is considered to be a serious sleep disorder wherein the person sleeping can suddenly stop breathing for a few seconds and start again. This irregular breathing pattern can make the person prone to many serious ailments, including heart disease! Mostly people who snore loudly while sleeping have the chances of suffering from sleep apnea. There are three different types of sleep apnea. The first being Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which is the most common form of sleep apnea that occurs mostly due to relaxation of the throat muscle while sleeping; the second being Central Sleep Apnea, which occurs when the brain is unable to send signals to the muscles that are responsible for controlling the breathing patterns while sleeping; and the third and most rare type of sleep apnea is Complex Sleep Apnea, which is caused by both the fault in the brain signals and well as the muscle relaxation of the throat. However, in this article, we shall focus on the obstructive sleep apnea. But before we start discussing the treatment, let us first learn more about this condition in detail.

Causes and Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

As mentioned earlier, obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of sleep apnea in humans, accounting for almost 84% of all sleep apnea cases. As the name suggests, obstructive sleep apnea occurs when there is an obstruction in the airways causing breathing to stop for a few seconds. Usually, the airways are blocked for 10 seconds or more, preventing the person to breathe for that period of time. But what causes this obstruction? Well, this happens because of your tongue and throat muscles! What happens is that as these muscles relax themselves, they become all the more narrow and prevent adequate passage of air. These muscles include the soft palate, the tonsils, the uvula, and the adenoids of the tongue. This blockage leads to drop in the level of oxygen in the body, therefore making the brain realize the need for proper breathing. Your brain then sends signals to these tissues to remove blockage which makes you wake up for a brief period of time and breathe properly so that the blockage is removed. However, this happens for a moment, and people don't even realize when they wake up to breathe in between! So, the time when your muscles block the airways and the time when you wake up and breathe is roughly 10-15 seconds, therefore being difficult to recall!

If you won't even realize the blockage and breathing, how would you know that you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)? Well, chances are that you won't! Therefore, it is best to ask the person you sleep with to notice the signs and symptoms of OSA just to be sure. If that is not possible, then install a voice recorder or a camera to notice the symptoms yourself. Just have a look at the signs and symptoms mentioned below to know what to look for. These symptoms include signs while you are sleeping and what you might feel when you wake up in the morning.

• Loud snoring
• Long pauses in breathing
• Abrupt awakenings in between due to shortness of breath
• Morning headache
• Feeling drowsy all throughout the day
• Irritation
• Unable to function in a proper way mentally or emotionally.
• Heaviness in the head
• Fatigue
• Waking up with an extremely dry mouth

Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Unlike some health conditions that occur only in people within certain age group, sleep apnea can occur in anyone from kids to the elderly, however men are considered to suffer from this condition more than women. Even other factors like family history, weight, alcoholism, smoking, and medical conditions like diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obesity can also put people at a higher risk of developing this condition. Therefore, even if you have the slightest suspicion of falling under the risk zone, or having sleep apnea already, you must get in touch with your health care specialist as soon as possible. Your doctor will ask you about the symptoms that you are experiencing. A sleep specialist will closely monitor your medical history, your weight, structure (neck circumference as larger than 17 inches can cause sleep apnea), your sleeping patterns, etc. Various tests are conducted in order to check the activities of your heart, brain, muscles which affect the breathing pattern, creating obstruction. These tests are, the Nocturnal Polysomnography and the Portable Monitoring Devices wherein the doctor attaches an equipment which helps in monitoring the various activities that take place in your body while you are asleep. The activities of your brain, heart, lungs, arms, legs and the breathing patterns along with the rise and drop in the oxygen levels are monitored. Based on these observations, the doctor diagnoses the kind of sleep apnea and the possible causes. Once you have been diagnosed to be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, the treatment option includes various medications, devices and surgeries. These are discussed in detail as follows.

Treatment Devices: There are many devices and machines which can be used to help open the airways of the person while he/she is asleep. The most popular device for treatment of sleep apnea is the CPAP mask. CPAP (SEE-pap) is the abbreviation for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure and is worn by the patient while asleep. This mask is worn over the nose and helps in providing a larger air pressure in the nostrils to prevent them from relaxing and obstructing the airways. This helps in preventing sleep apnea and other symptoms like snoring, sleep disturbances, etc.

Apart from CPAP, there are other adjustable airway pressure devices that are designed to effectively adjust the air pressure while a person is sleeping. Although, there are some people who might find it uncomfortable to wear these adjustable devices or even CPAP for that matter. In this case, there are certain oral appliances which are specifically designed in order to open up the throat and prevent obstructive sleep apnea. Although, you might have to try a number of different devices to decide which one suits you the best.

Medications: Although medications don't prove to be all that helpful in treating sleep apnea, of any kind, your doctor may still advice you certain drugs just to treat certain disorders that accompany sleep apnea. However, these medications are always suggested in combination with other treatment measures. For example, in 2004, provigil was approved by the FDA to be used in combination with CPAP in order to treat sleepiness, which is an accompanied condition with sleep apnea. However, some of the drugs can have serious side effects, including provigil. Therefore, consult your doctor about what your options are.

Surgical Treatment: Last but not the least treatment option for OSA is surgery. Remember I had mentioned earlier that the tissue and muscles in the throat may lead to blockage and obstruction in the airways. Well, if it is necessary then a surgery for obstructive sleep apnea may be done to remove the excessive tissue that vibrates and causes you to snore and/or obstructs the airways. These surgical options include, Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), wherein the tissue from the rear of the mouth as well as the top surface of the throat are removed to prevent vibration of these tissues leading to snoring. Another surgical procedure used for OSA treatment is Tracheostomy, which is usually performed when the sleep apnea is the most severe and can become life-threatening! A metal or plastic tube is inserted in the neck after creating an opening to help the passage of air. The opening is usually kept covered during the day, however, during the night the opening is uncovered enabling you to breathe smoothly. Another way of surgically treating OSA is known as Maxillomandibular Advancement. Through this procedure the jaw of the patient is moved forward in order to create extra space behind the soft palate and the tongue so that there is minimal or no obstruction in the airways. Doctors may also take help of nasal surgery to remove the polyps to help one breathe better.

There are certain home remedies which can also prove to be of help. An example for the same would be to minimize the risk factors which include losing weight, avoiding smoking, alcohol, etc. Also, it is advisable to keep your nasal passages clear and open at night before you go to sleep. Sleeping on your back and sides may prevent your soft palate and tongue from resting at the back of the throat. Therefore, avoid sleeping on your back to avoid obstruction. Sleep apnea may become life-threatening if ignored. Therefore, it is advisable to get in touch with your doctor as soon as possible and prevent further complications. Take care.