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Comments Off on Pregnancy Risks with Untreated Sleep Apnea
by SadofNE
Untreated sleep apnea during pregnancy is associated with several increased health risks for both the mother and the baby. Sleep apnea is characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep, leading to poor oxygenation and fragmented sleep. Below is a summary of the risks:
Maternal Risks
1. Preeclampsia: Sleep apnea is linked to a higher risk of preeclampsia, a condition marked by high blood pressure and damage to organs such as the liver and kidneys.
2. Gestational Hypertension: Increased risk of elevated blood pressure during pregnancy.
3. Gestational Diabetes: Sleep apnea may impair glucose metabolism, leading to a higher incidence of gestational diabetes.
4. Cardiovascular Strain: Recurrent oxygen deprivation can stress the cardiovascular system, potentially leading to arrhythmias or heart issues.
5. Fatigue and Depression: Chronic sleep disruption can exacerbate pregnancy-related fatigue and increase the risk of depression or mood disorders.
6. AND, weight gain, hormonal changes and fluid retention can place you at a higher risk of having sleep apnea when you are pregnant.
Fetal Risks
1. Low Birth Weight: Poor oxygenation in the mother can restrict fetal growth.
2. Preterm Birth: Sleep apnea may increase the likelihood of delivering before 37 weeks of gestation.
3. Fetal Hypoxia: Reduced oxygen levels in the mother can lead to inadequate oxygen delivery to the fetus, affecting development.
4. Neonatal Complications: Babies born to mothers with untreated sleep apnea may face a higher risk of requiring neonatal intensive care.
Long-Term Considerations
Both the mother and the child may face long-term health implications if sleep apnea remains untreated. Early intervention, including the use of an oral appliance or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, weight management, and proper prenatal care, can mitigate many of these risks.
If you suspect sleep apnea during pregnancy, it is crucial to consult a healthcare provider for evaluation and management.
A good night’s sleep helps you feel refreshed and perform better the following day. But there’s growing evidence that sleep is critical for maintaining good long-term health, too.
The body can usually cope with occasionally staying up late, but if you’re frequently or chronically depriving yourself of sleep, there will be a price to pay, says Sigrid C. Veasey, MD, a researcher and professor of medicine at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia.Here are some of the long-term health problems linked to not clocking enough hours of shut-eye.
Why Sleep Is So Good for Your Immune System
Learn how sleep boosts your immune system and why it’s essential for overall health.
1. Poor Brain Health
Studies have linked sleep problems to poor thinking and memory skills later in life, which could put people at higher risk for dementia, says Clémence Cavaillès, PhD, a researcher at the University of California in San Francisco.
Bad sleep may also result in premature aging of the brain, says Dr. Cavaillès. She is the author of a recent study that found that people who have poor sleep quality have more signs of poor brain health as they get older compared with people who have fewer sleep issues.
The study, which followed 600 middle-aged participants over 15 years, found that people with the greatest number of sleep complications had an average brain age that, over this time period, became 2.6 years more advanced than people with the fewest sleep issues.
Bad sleep quality, difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and early morning awakening were linked to greater brain age, especially if the issue persisted over five years.
A prematurely aging brain has significant implications for numerous aspects for cognitive health, daily functioning, and overall well-being, says Cavaillès.
“Specifically, advanced brain aging has been associated with worse cognitive functions and Alzheimer disease–related atrophy patterns,” she says.
2. Depression and Anxiety
Research shows that people who have chronic insomnia have a higher rate of depression and anxiety compared with people who haven’t been diagnosed with insomnia, says Meena Khan, MD, a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. It’s estimated that about 40 percent of people with insomnia have clinical depression.
The relationship between mood and sleep is complex and bidirectional, which means that depression or anxiety can worsen sleep, and lack of sleep can also negatively impact mood. Insomnia is considered an independent risk factor for developing a mental health disorder, including depression, in people of all ages.
Sometimes separate treatments are needed to help with the sleep problems and the anxiety or depression, but in some cases improving sleep can help mood, too, says Dr. Khan.
3. Type 2 Diabetes
Poor quality sleep or short sleep duration has been linked to poorer blood sugar control in people with and without diabetes, says Khan. It can increase risk of developing diabetes as well, she says.
In a group of middle-aged Caucasians, researchers found a strong association between poor sleep quality and metabolic syndrome, insulin levels, fasting blood sugar levels, and insulin resistance, which is often a precursor to type 2 diabetes.
4. Weight Gain and Obesity
There is a strong link between having sleep issues and being overweight or having obesity. That’s because not getting enough sleep on a regular basis (sleep deprivation) can create an imbalance in the hormones that regulate your appetite, ghrelin and leptin.
Leptin helps you feel full, and ghrelin makes you feel hungry. Because leptin levels typically rise during sleep, experts think if you aren’t getting enough, your leptin levels decrease, making you feel hungrier, and that may lead to eating more than you need. On top of that, sleep disruptions of any kind can cause an increase in ghrelin, which also increases your appetite.
Research suggests that insufficient sleep makes people burn about 100 more calories a day. Although that sounds like a good thing, the extra wake time also increases how much people eat or drink by more than 250 calories, which over time can make people gain weight.
Even small changes in sleep have been linked to heart issues. There are 24 percent more heart attacks for the first three to four days after the clocks change in March, and a 21 percent reduction in heart attack risks in November when clocks “fall back” and people gain an hour of sleep.
Regularly sleeping five hours or less is associated with a 2 to 3 times greater risk of coronary artery buildup (decreasing the blood flow to your heart), meaning that sleep deprivation may increase the likelihood of coronary artery disease.
People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have higher risk of hypertension, heart attack, and stroke, says Khan.
6. Kidney Problems
The link between sleep and kidney health hasn’t been as firmly established as the link between sleep and other chronic conditions, says Khan.
[10] But there’s evidence that poor sleep quality is associated with developing chronic kidney disease, which researchers believe could be related to the disruptions in circadian rhythms.
7. Impaired Immune Function
Not getting enough or good enough quality sleep can shortchange your immune system, says Khan.
“There is evidence that getting plenty of sleep can benefit your immune system and that impaired sleep is linked with being more susceptible to infections,” she says.
Research has linked poor sleep to an increased susceptibility to certain types of illness. People who chronically get less than seven hours of sleep a night are 3 times as likely to develop the common cold compared with those who routinely get eight hours or more of sleep.
Additionally, studies on flu vaccines and hepatitis A and B vaccines suggest that not sleeping hurts your body’s ability to make disease-fighting antibodies. When study participants were deprived of sleep for about four hours a night in the days before and one to two days following vaccination, they developed a significantly lower level of antibodies compared to those who were not sleep-deprived.
8. A Less Healthy Gut
The gut microbiome is all the microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi that are found in the gastrointestinal tract, and experts believe that the more diverse the microbiome, the better it is for overall health.
There are some studies that suggest that altered sleep — for example, what night shift workers would experience — may impact your gut health, Khan says.
A study using Mendelian randomization, a method that uses genetic variation to study causal effects of different health variables, found that sleep issues may alter the abundance of gut microbiota.
Investigators also found several types of gut bacteria may be involved in many different aspects of sleep regulation, which suggests the relationship between sleep and the gut goes in both directions.
The Takeaway
Poor sleep quality may lead to cognitive problems and a higher risk of dementia, with studies showing a correlation between sleep issues and accelerated brain aging.
Chronic sleep deprivation significantly increases the risk of depression and anxiety, with about 40 percent of those with insomnia experiencing clinical depression.
Sleep problems are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome due to impaired blood sugar control.
Regularly getting less than five hours of sleep is linked to a higher risk of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke, potentially increasing coronary artery disease risk.
Comments Off on Exploring Oral Appliance Therapy and Mouth Taping for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment
by SadofNE
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. Characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep, OSA can lead to a variety of health complications, including cardiovascular issues, fatigue, cognitive decline, and a diminished quality of life. While Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy remains the gold standard for treating OSA it is too often intolerable to use. I am not against the use of CPAP, it can be a great treatment for many people, but unfortunately half the people that try CPAP cannot sleep with it for a variety of reasons. If you can’t sleep with CPAP, you are not the “world’s biggest looser” – you are a member of a big club! In addition, we understand there are thousands of people (maybe more) that will not even get tested for OSA because CPAP is the only treatment know and they do not want to try it. In terms of the ability to open the airway during sleep, the next best treatment for OSA is Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) – and it’s another non-surgical approach that is far more tolerable than CPAP. For most patients OAT treats their OSA as well as CPAP, but for others it reduces their OSA but leaves some residual OSA and/or symptoms untreated. To optimize treatment with OAT other modalities can be added based on patient preference, problems and medical necessity to optimize treatment. Today’s blog will discuss adding Mouth Taping to OAT – we will talk about other adjunctive modalities, like nasal patency, lateral sleep aides, etc in another blog.
Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT)
What is Oral Appliance Therapy?
Oral Appliance Therapy involves wearing a custom-fitted device in the mouth during sleep. These devices are designed to keep the airway open by repositioning the jaw and tongue forward during sleep. OAT is more effective for people with mild to moderate OSA but can also be used for those with severe OSA if they cannot tolerate CPAP or refuse to try one. For others, it’s a great alternative treatment for travel, or when they are in places that make their CPAP difficult to use. Sometimes the more tools in the toolbox the better!
How Does OAT Work?
The primary mechanism behind OAT is the advancement of the lower jaw (mandible) and the stabilization of the tongue in a more forward position. By moving the jaw and tongue forward, oral appliances prevent the soft tissues in the throat from collapsing and blocking the airway during sleep. This leads to a more unobstructed breathing pathway, reducing apneas (total closures) and hypopneas (partial closures).
Benefits of OAT:
Comfort and Convenience: Oral appliances are small, portable, and easy to wear, making them more comfortable than bulky CPAP machines.
Improved Compliance: Studies show higher long-term adherence rates with OAT compared to CPAP, largely due to its non-invasive nature and increased comfort
Non-Invasive: Unlike surgery, OAT does not involve any permanent alterations to the airway structure, making it a low-risk option.
Custom-Fit: These appliances are tailored to fit each patient, ensuring a snug and effective treatment.
Mouth Taping for OSA
What is Mouth Taping?
Mouth taping is a technique where a piece of hypoallergenic tape is placed over the mouth to encourage nasal breathing during sleep. If you Google mouth taping you will find hundreds of specifically designed tapes. The theory behind mouth taping is simple: by keeping the mouth closed, individuals are forced to breathe through their nose, which can help reduce airway collapse. In addition, it can also help prevent that dry mouth feeling during the night (because breathing through your mouth creates that dry mouth).
Mouth Taping alone rarely treats OSA
However, mouth taping can be a useful adjunctive therapy to use with your oral appliance or with CPAP. Please only use mouth taping under the guidance of your healthcare practitioner.
How Does Mouth Taping Help?
Mouth taping helps mitigate sleep apnea symptoms by promoting nasal breathing. Breathing through the nose has multiple benefits for OSA sufferers:
Nasal breathing activates the diaphragm, which leads to deeper, more stable breaths.
The nose filters and humidifies air, making breathing smoother and less prone to obstruction.
Mouth breathing can lead to snoring and throat relaxation, which may exacerbate OSA symptoms.
By keeping your mouth closed and breathing through your nose your airway will stay slightly more “inflated” during sleep – thus helping to reduce airway collapse which is the “apnea”.
It is important to note that mouth taping should be done cautiously and under professional guidance. Mouth taping needs to be done using a relatively weak adhesive that so that it is easily removed and it always has to be done so that you can still breathe through you mouth if your nose gets clogged during sleep.
Benefits of Mouth Taping:
Non-Invasive: No equipment or devices are needed other than a small piece of tape.
Inexpensive: Mouth taping is a low-cost option compared to other treatments.
Improves Sleep Quality: Promoting nasal breathing can lead to fewer sleep interruptions and better overall sleep quality.
Downsides:
Not a Standalone Solution for OSA: Studies show mouth taping alone is unlikely to treat sleep apnea effectively, even mild OSA.
Risk of Nasal Obstruction: Those with nasal congestion or structural issues, like a deviated septum, may struggle with mouth taping.
Discomfort: Some users may find the sensation of having their mouth taped shut uncomfortable or claustrophobic.
Combining OAT and Mouth Taping: A Holistic Approach
As we discussed above, for some patients, although the use of oral appliance therapy improves their OSA, residual OSA or symptoms persist. This dual approach can potentially improve the effectiveness of treatment by addressing multiple factors that contribute to OSA.
A study performed in our office in conjunction with the Brigham and Women’s’ Hospital/Harvard Medical School showed that the use of both together can improve the efficacy of treatment for some patient (https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/10.1513/AnnalsATS.202109-1050OC). You will not know until you try!
Before combining treatments, however, it is crucial to consult with a healthcare provider or sleep specialist. They can help determine the best course of action based on the severity of the apnea and individual needs.
Conclusion
Oral Appliance Therapy and mouth taping represent two alternative treatment options for people struggling with OSA, especially for those who cannot tolerate CPAP. While OAT is backed by robust clinical evidence and is widely recognized as an effective treatment for OSA, mouth taping is still relatively new in the OSA treatment space but shows promise as an adjunct therapy. Both options have their benefits and potential downsides, and individual results will vary. Consulting with a healthcare provider is essential to determine the most appropriate treatment based on the severity of your condition.
If you or a loved one suffer from sleep apnea, consider exploring these alternatives as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that can improve your sleep quality and overall health.
Disclaimer: Always consult with a licensed healthcare provider before making any changes to your sleep apnea treatment plan.
Male college students were found to consume more energy drinks than female college students, and they had a greater risk for a short sleep duration due to energy drink consumption.
College students may consume energy drinks to stay alert, but the beverage may make people sleepier—a new study found energy drinks are linked to poor sleep quality and insomnia among college students.1,2
“Even small amounts of [energy drinks] had an impact on sleep where daily [energy drinks] consumption increased the risk of sleep problems across all parameters for both sexes,” wrote the investigators.
A study, led by Siri Kaldenbach, from the Innlandet Hospital Trust, in Lillehammer, Norway and the department of clinical medicine at the University of Oslo in Oslo, Norway, sought to investigate the frequency of energy drink consumption and the association between energy drink consumption and sleep characteristics in Norwegian college and university students. They also evaluated whether males or females consumed more energy drinks and how energy drinks affected their quality of sleep.
The investigators conducted a cross-sectional study and obtained data from the Students’ Health and Wellbeing Study 2022 (SHOT2022), a national survey. The survey, comprised of mental health and lifestyle questions, was distributed electronically between February 8 – April 19, 2022, to full-time Norwegian students. The study included 53,266 students enrolled in higher education in Norway, aged 18 – 35 years (mean age: 24 years) with 66.4% women.
The survey evaluated energy drink consumption, with the option of daily, 4-6 times a week, 2-3 times a week, 1 time per week, 1-3 times per month, and seldom/never. The survey also assessed sleep-related questions, and students reported usual bedtime and bed-rise time. The investigators evaluated sleep onset latency and wake after sleep onset.
Of the participants, 4.7% of men and 3.3% of women reported consuming energy drinks daily. Moreover, men were associated with consuming more energy drinks than women. Women (49.6%) were more likely than men (39.6%) to never or seldom consumed energy drinks.
Additionally, 5.5% of women reported consuming energy drinks 4 -6 times a week and 3.3% consumed them daily. In contrast, 7.8% of men consumed energy drinks 4-6 times a week with 4.7% consuming the drinks daily.
Kaldenbach and colleagues observed a larger frequency of energy drink consumption was linked to sleep pattern issues such as sleep onset latency and wake-after-sleep onset. The strongest association was observed between daily energy drink consumption and short sleep duration, with men (risk ratio [RR], 2.07; 95% CI 1.77 – 2.42) exhibiting a greater risk of short sleep duration than women (RR, 1.87; 95% CI 1.64 – 2.14).
Investigators called attention to an association between energy drink consumption and insomnia. Among women, insomnia was present among 51% reporting energy drink consumption compared to 33% among those who never or seldom consumed energy drinks. Among men, insomnia was present among 37% reporting energy drink consumption compared to 22% among those who never or seldom consumed energy drinks.
“Most of the associations between [energy drinks] and sleep were similar for male and female students but with a few notable exceptions,” investigators wrote. “For bedtime and risetime, we observed a significantly stronger effect for men compared with women.”
Because of the observational design, the investigators stated they could not infer causality. Moreover, the team said did not know what time the energy drink was consumed or the specific amount of the beverage—they only had access to the frequency of energy drink consumption—so that could have affected results. Another limitation, as pointed out by the team, was the “modest response rate” of 35.1% and limited information about the participants who did not complete the survey other than their age and sex.
“The results from the current study show that there is a robust association between the frequency of [energy drinks] consumption and the different sleep parameters,” investigators wrote. “Identifying modifiable risk factors for sleep problems among college and university students is vital and our results suggest that the frequency of [energy drinks] consumption could be a possible target for interventions.”
References
Kaldenbach S, Hysing M, Strand TA, et al. Energy drink consumption and sleep parameters in college and university students: a national cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2024;14:e072951. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2023-072951
Under a settlement with regulators, the company must revamp some operations before resuming sales of its CPAP and ventilator devices in the United States.
Philips Respironics announced on Monday that it would halt sales of all of its breathing machines in the United States after reaching a settlement with the Food and Drug Administration over continuing problems with the devices.
Millions of the company’s ventilators and CPAP machines, used to ease breathing at night, were recalled after reports that they blew bits of foam and potentially toxic gases into consumers’ airways.
Under the settlement, Philips said it would have to meet a list of standards in a “multiyear” plan before it could resume business in the United States. The company said further details would be disclosed when the agreement was finalized in court. But it added that it would continue to repair existing devices and provide service for people using them.
The company initially began the recall of millions of devices in June 2021 and paused sales of new sleep therapy machines to the United States, according to Steve Klink, a spokesman for Philips. At the time, the company and the F.D.A. cited the potential for serious injury or permanent impairment from the potentially cancer-causing chemicals emitted from the devices.
The company has since released results of additional testing, saying the devices were “not expected to result in appreciable harm to health in patients,” and it said it was continuing to conduct tests. The F.D.A. has pushed back on some of the company’s updated claims, and at one point called them “unpersuasive.” Philips has also faced continuing scrutiny and undertaken more recalls in its attempts to upgrade the devices.
Dr. Jeff Shuren, director of the F.D.A.’s device division, said the agency could not comment until the agreement was finalized and filed with the court.
The initial recall affected about 15 million breathing machines produced since 2006, though roughly five million were still in circulation in mid-2021.
With replacements not immediately available, the recall caused confusion and upset for many doctors and patients. Many struggled to weigh the risk of continuing to use a faulty device against the peril of sleeping with impaired breathing.
Millions of people suffer from sleep apnea, or interrupted breathing, which is associated with elevated rates of strokes, heart attacks and possible cognitive decline. Recalled machines included CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, machines; BiPap devices; and ventilators.
Philips, which is based in Amsterdam, disclosed that it had reached an agreement, or a consent decree, that was brokered with the U.S. Justice Department and the F.D.A., along with the announcement of its fourth-quarter earnings. The company said it wrote down about 363 million euros related to the cost of completing the settlement requirements. Its stock, which trades in the United States, was down about 7 percent Monday morning.
The company said it would continue to sell its products in other countries.
Thousands of patients have since sued Philips, claiming that the machines led to a wide range of respiratory and other ailments, including allegations of deaths from lung cancer. In September, the company reached a $479 million settlement with plaintiffs that was meant to cover the financial losses related to repairing or replacing the machines. Litigation over illnesses and medical costs is still pending.
Christina Jewett covers the Food and Drug Administration. She is an award-winning investigative journalist and has a strong interest in how the work of the F.D.A. affects the people who use regulated products. More about Christina Jewett
You’ve probably heard that regular exercise and a heart-healthy diet are the most important things you can do for your cardiovascular health. As it turns out, though, the quality of sleep you receive is also critical to your heart’s wellbeing.
In particular, undiagnosed sleep apnea is directly tied to an increased risk in cardiovascular and metabolic health. The scariest part? You might not even know you have this very common problem.
“Sleep apnea happens when upper airway muscles relax during sleep and pinch off the airway, which prevents you from getting enough air. Your breathing may pause for 10 seconds or more at a time, until your reflexes kick in and you start breathing again,” explains Jonathan Jun, M.D. , a pulmonary and sleep medicine specialist at the Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center.
Sleep apnea occurs in about 3 percent of normal weight individuals but affects over 20 percent of obese people, Jun says. In general, sleep apnea affects men more than women. However, sleep apnea rates increase sharply in women after menopause. Sleep apnea is often linked to heart disease and metabolic issues like diabetes.
What are the signs of sleep apnea?
There are two kinds of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea happens when air can’t flow into or out of the nose or mouth, although you’re trying to breathe. Central sleep apnea happens when the brain fails to send the right signals to your muscles to make you start breathing. (This type is less common.)
“Sleep apnea may be noticed more by the bed partner than by the sleeper,” says Jun. “Your bed partner might notice that your breathing pauses, or they may complain of your loud snoring.”
That said, snoring itself—though annoying—isn’t the same as sleep apnea. Snoring is just the vibration sound created by airway resistance. You can snore loudly and not have sleep apnea, and you may even have sleep apnea without much snoring.
People with sleep apnea might also suffer from unexplained fatigue and mood swings, because their breathing interruptions continually wake them and prevent them from settling into a deep, nourishing sleep.
The consequences can be significant, Jun says. “We’re talking about car accidents in the daytime, lost productivity at work, mood swings, waking up feeling groggy and falling asleep in class.”
Other sufferers might wake up with a dry mouth, since sleep apnea tends to make you breathe with an open mouth, drying out your saliva. Some awaken with a headache, which may be caused by low oxygen or high carbon dioxide levels during sleep.
How is Weight Control Linked to Sleep Apnea?
“Weight control is very important. There are many studies showing that losing weight can either completely cure you of sleep apnea or at least make it less severe,” Jun says.
Sleep apnea, cardiovascular risk and metabolism
Several studies have shown an association between sleep apnea and problems like type 2 diabetes , strokes , heart attacks and even a shortened lifespan, says Jun. Why this connection? For one thing, obesity is common in sleep apnea patients, and obesity greatly increases risks of diabetes, stroke and heart attack, he says. “In most cases, obesity is the main culprit behind both conditions,” Jun explains.
Still, it’s important to note that not everyone with sleep apnea is obese. Furthermore, evidence suggests an independent link between sleep apnea and diabetes. “Our lab and others have shown that sleep apnea is associated with higher risks of diabetes, independent of obesity, and that sleep apnea can increase blood sugar levels,” says Jun.
For people who are overweight or obese, weight loss is key for treating or avoiding sleep apnea. People who accumulate fat in the neck, tongue and upper belly are especially vulnerable to getting sleep apnea. This weight reduces the diameter of the throat and pushes against the lungs, contributing to airway collapse during sleep.
Women in particular should be careful as they age. While premenopausal women tend to put on weight in the hips and in the lower body instead of the belly, this shifts with time. Weight begins to accumulate in traditionally “male” areas like the tummy, and this leads to a greater chance of sleep apnea.
“After menopause, hormones change and women tend to start looking like men in terms of where the weight gets put on. It’s a time to be paying attention to the risks of sleep apnea because women begin to catch up to men in the rates of apnea after menopause,” Jun says.15
Diagnosing and treating sleep apnea for better health
It’s important to treat sleep apnea, because it can have long-term consequences for your health. While there have been some high-profile deaths linked to sleep apnea—such as with Judge Antonin Scalia —Jun says that the true risk is from damage done over time.
Obstructive sleep apnea can range from mild to severe, based on a measurement system called the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). The AHI measures the number of breathing pauses that you experience per hour that you sleep.
Obstructive sleep apnea is classified by severity:
Severe obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is greater than 30 (more than 30 episodes per hour)
Moderate obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is between 15 and 30
Mild obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is between 5 and 15
Whether or not you need treatment for sleep apnea depends on its severity, whether or not you have symptoms such as sleepiness and other health conditions. For example, if you have risk factors for heart disease, your doctor might opt to treat you even for mild sleep apnea. On the other hand, if you have a severe case of sleep apnea, your doctor might insist on treatment even if you’re not sleepy.
The main choice of therapy is a breathing device called a CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure machine. A CPAP machine pipes humidified air through the nose, which creates air pressure to keep your throat open while asleep. This prevents pauses in breathing.
“CPAP is the first-line treatment, and it’s very effective,” Jun says. A recent Johns Hopkins study looked at what happens to metabolism at night when sleep apnea patients don’t wear their CPAP. The study found that the resulting apnea caused a spike in blood sugar, heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormones—a response similar to what might happen if you were asked to get up in front of a crowd to speak. “It’s very similar to that type of a stress response,” says Jun. “I would liken sleep apnea to something like that happening on a nightly basis.”
CPAP is not the only alternative.
Many cannot tolerate the CPAP machine and are able to obtain the help they need from a Sleep Apnea Dental Specialist. Their use of an oral appliance has helped hundreds of thousands resolve their medical issues as they pertain to Sleep Apnea.
Get the Medical Equipment You Need at Home
Many studies show that regular use of CPAP or oral devices reduces blood pressure and improves wakefulness during the day. People with sleep apnea who use sleep apnea therapeutic devices also report improved quality of life. In some observational studies that compare people with apnea who seek sleep apnea remedies versus those who don’t, those seeking treatment have lower risk of stroke and heart attack and lower blood glucose, Jun notes.
If you or your partner has noticed signs of sleep apnea, visit your doctor. A sleep specialist can order a sleep apnea test, which uses equipment to monitor your breathing and oxygen levels while you sleep. Often, you’ll visit a laboratory to spend the night for monitoring. Other times, it’s possible to use a portable, take-home kit. You’ll rest easier knowing the results.
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