Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder. During sleep, a patient's breathing will significantly decrease or even temporarily stop, leading to a lack of oxygen in the body. This usually occurs during light sleep and dreaming, causing the patient to struggle awake after suffocation and then fall back asleep once breathing normalizes, severely affecting sleep quality.
A patient's breathing may temporarily stop or decrease by 25% during sleep, leading to a drop in blood oxygen levels by more than 4%. This can happen tens to hundreds of times each night, lasting from a few seconds to over a minute each time, causing patients to still feel tired upon waking.
Sudden suffocation during sleep – can severe cases lead to sudden death?
When the muscles of the upper airway relax and their tension decreases, further relaxing during deep sleep, the airway becomes narrowed, thus causing snoring. When the airway narrows to complete obstruction, sleep apnea may occur.
Sleep apnea is only temporary and, while not directly fatal, may trigger other problems. For example, if a patient experiences insufficient rest due to decreased sleep quality, it can affect daytime energy and work, and also easily lead to traffic accidents. Moreover, if left untreated for a long time, the frequent oxygen deprivation during sleep can lead to high blood pressure, arrhythmia, heart disease, stroke, impaired lung function, polycythemia, and type 2 diabetes; in severe cases, it can even result in sudden death.
Besides snoring, what are the other obvious signs?
Although continuous and loud snoring is one of the obvious symptoms of sleep apnea, the volume and frequency are not directly related to the condition. In addition to snoring, if you find that your partner has any of the following symptoms, or if you suspect you may have the condition, it is best to undergo a medical examination.
．Breathing pauses, followed by forceful, loud breathing
．Excessive sweating during sleep, abnormal sleeping posture
．Feeling sleepy during the day despite sufficient sleep
．Difficulty waking up in the morning, and experiencing headaches upon waking
How to determine if you have sleep apnea?
Currently, a nocturnal sleep study is likely the most reliable method. The patient needs to stay in the hospital overnight, with external devices attached to their head and body to record brain waves, breathing, electrocardiogram, blood oxygen, etc. A specialist doctor then conducts an in-depth analysis. The entire process does not cause any harm to the body.
Surgical treatment is commonly used for sleep apnea
Surgery:
Most patients can be cured through tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, which are low-risk surgeries with few sequelae. Although general anesthesia is required, a small number of individuals who are not suitable for surgery may need to use a CPAP machine long-term for sleeping. Patients with mild cases may also improve their condition through medication that alleviates nasal mucosal congestion.
What products are available on the market to help improve the condition?
Oral appliances:
Positive airway pressure nasal strips:
Positive airway pressure nasal strips are relatively simple and easy-to-use products; you just need to apply them to your nostrils before going to bed each night. They are small, disposable, and do not require electricity, making them more convenient. They primarily work by opening a valve during inhalation to assist airflow and closing the valve during exhalation to increase air pressure, thereby opening up the airway. They can be a potential alternative to CPAP machines, but their effect is limited, only improving symptoms by about 50%.
Saline nasal spray:
Saline nasal sprays only help keep the nasal passages clean during sleep, leading to smoother breathing, but they may not completely solve the problem.
CPAP machine:
CPAP machines are the most common and effective method besides surgery. There are two types: "Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)" and "Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP)". Both rely on a nasal mask from the machine to deliver the preset air pressure prescribed by the doctor, thereby opening the upper airway and assisting breathing.
High-risk groups for sleep apnea
The following six factors significantly increase the risk of developing sleep apnea:
- Unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as smoking and heavy drinking
- Overweight or obese individuals
- Congenital issues, such as a short neck, small mouth, deep and narrow palate, recessed jaw, or enlarged neck circumference or tonsils
- Individuals with deviated nasal septum, displaced nasal bones, or nasal polyps
- Suffering from endocrine diseases, such as hypothyroidism
- Taking tranquilizers, sleeping pills
Original article: Urban Diseases | Can nasal strips and CPAP machines improve sleep apnea? Analysis of the principles and pros and cons of various therapies | Hong Kong 01 https://www.hk01.com/sns/article/614972?utm_source=01articlecopy&utm_medium=referral