The Diagnosis And Treatment Of Sleep Apnea

Posted by Apnea
Categorized Under: Sleep Apnea
Dated: 13 Nov 2009
Comments: 0

How can I tell if I have sleep apnea and how can I treat it?
Diagnosis
The typical patient with sleep apnea is an overweight middle-aged male with a neck size of more than 17 inches. However, the condition is also common in women and not all sufferers are overweight. Almost everybody who has sleep apnea is a snorer, often a very heavy snorer. Pauses in breathing during sleep are commonly noticed by a bed partner but this history is often lacking and up to five “events” per hour are considered normal.
One of the more consistent symptoms is “nonrestorative sleep” meaning that the patient wakes in the morning feeling unrefreshed no matter how much he slept during the night. Excessive daytime sleepiness is common in sleep apnea of any severity but some patients complain of fatigue rather than sleepiness. However, many patients with severe sleep apnea have no complaint of sleepiness or fatigue.
The most accurate diagnostic tool, polysomnography, can confirm the diagnosis and assist the doctor in identifying the type of sleep apnea present. In the past, this test was only done in hospitals and in specialized sleep laboratories. There are now portable sleep recording systems that can perform unattended polysomnography in the patient’s home, but in-laboratory testing with a technician present remains the standard and is required by many insurers including Medicare before they will pay for treatment of sleep apnea.
With advances in portable electronics, patients can now use a small device called a pulse oximeter, which is attached to a fingertip to measure the oxygen saturation of the blood (percent of the total hemoglobin that is combined with oxygen). This non-intrusive monitor measures the difference in the color of the oxygenated and of the deoxygenated hemoglobins. Recordings of blood oxygen saturation during sleep may give an estimate of the severity of the problem although it’s not been the most reliable screening tool.
Treatment
There are a variety of treatments for sleep apnea, depending on an individual’s medical history and the severity of the disorder. Most treatment regimens begin with lifestyle changes, such as avoiding alcohol and medications that relax the central nervous system (for example, sedatives and muscle relaxants), losing weight, and quitting smoking.
Some people are helped by special pillows or devices that keep them from sleeping on their backs. Some cases are treated with oral appliances to keep the airway open during sleep.
If these conservative methods are inadequate, doctors often recommend continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). A face mask is attached to a tube and a machine that blows pressurized air into the mask and through the airway to keep it open. There are also surgical procedures that can be used to remove tissue and widen the airway. Some individuals may need a combination of therapies to successfully treat their sleep apnea.
In conclusion, sleep apnea left untreated can be life threatening. Excessive daytime sleepiness can cause people to fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as while driving. Sleep apnea also appears to put individuals at risk for stroke and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs, also known as “mini- strokes”), and is associated with coronary heart disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, gout and high blood pressure.
Although there is no cure for sleep apnea, recent studies show that successful treatment can reduce the risk of heart and blood pressure problems.
Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as no changes are made, and the entire resource box is included.

Wellness Risks For The Heavy

Posted by Apnea
Categorized Under: Weight Loss
Dated: 5 Nov 2008
Comments: 0

Being overwieght quickly becomes the major source of problems, moreso than the unhealty lifestyle itself. Tons of weight loss programs fill the market, millions of people are still overweight, who can figure that. This health dilemma now becomes the major culprit of various diseases faced by people from all over the globe. Tons of people have problems with their weight. I personally love to just sit in my computer looking at market investing.

Risks to ones health are a plenty that are caused by being overweight. That being said, knowledge of these hazzards should be known by people so they can fight off heath problems before they start. Being obease is considered a possiably life threating consition that can only be cured through hard work and a proper diet.

The risk of heart disease and stroke is a known cause of obesity. If you are obease then you almost surely have hight blood pressure, and thay leads to choesterol buildup and other problems. Heart attacks are a major killer world wide, and not trying to protect yourself from them are foolish.

When you sleep do you snore? Does it become an unbearable and uncontrollable loud noise? If this so, then you are suffering from sleep apnea. This kind of health disorder is discernable among overweight people. When you are in a sleep mode, the tendency to stop breathing is plausible thereby making the airway smaller. Sleep apnea is caused by an inflammation of stored fats around the neck making it hard for a person to breathe normally. If this happens, it is recommended that you consult a medical professional without more ado. Sleep apnea is not a minor health problem as this will pave the way for auxiliary diseases if not given utmost attention.

An additional concern for obease people that may appear is type 2 diabetes. This happens when cells that produce insulin now have a hard time doing their job and thus can’t regulate blood sugar levels. If you have diabeties then you suffer things like high blood sugar that does stuff like cause other system failures in the body. If you don’t get treatment then other infection can cause amputation and loss of sight.

Being overweight can also increase your risk of cancer. Cancer can be caused by being heavy, and it also leads to many types of conditions like colin and liver cancer, or many more. Gall bladder conditions can also be a cause of weight gain. Gallstones are caused by an increase in cholesterol and if you are obease then there is an even larger concer about a big gallbladder.

You don’t want all these health concerns to just pop up? If your answer is ‘yes’ then you have to look for ways that will prevent you from getting bigger and bigger. A good exercise and proper diet should not be applied in a short span of time; a healthy lifestyle serves as a lifetime commitment to oneself and health in general. If you want a really good weight loss program I suggest checking out thomson one.