Sleep Apnea – Untreated Sleep Apnea Leads to Serious Health Issues

Sleep Apnea Clinic | Sleep apnea test in Hyderabad | Dr Neetu Modgil

Sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing stops involuntarily for a long period of time during sleep. Apnoeic episodes or apnea is the period when breathing stops. Those who snore loudly and feel tired when they get up in the morning might have sleep apnea.

There are three main types of sleep apnea

Obstructive

The muscles that support the sidewalls of the throat, soft palate (uvula – a triangular piece of tissue) and the tonsils relax. When this happens, the airway closes or narrows during breathing in air. When the brain senses the inability to breath in enough air, you will awake from sleep for a very brief time to reopen your airway. During this period, you will snore, gasp or feel choked. This pattern repeats several times in an hour – whole night – impairing your ability to get deep restful sleep.

Central Sleep Apnea – This may be due to the brain not sending proper signals to the muscles that control breathing

Mixed sleep apnea – This type of a combination of the above two types of sleep apnea.

If sleep apnea is kept untreated it may lead to serious health problems, such as:

• Hypertension
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes

Proper treatment and diagnosis of this condition is essential to prevent complications.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Typical signs and symptoms of sleep apnea irrespective of the type include the following:

• Loud snoring
• Episodic stoppage of breathing during sleep as can be noted by another person
• Gasping for air during sleep
• Mouth breathing
• Waking up with a dry mouth
• Insomnia
• Drowsiness
• Hypersomnia – daytime sleepiness
• Forgetfulness
• Worsening depression
• Feeling grumpy
• Morning headaches
• Headaches that do not get better
• Irritability
• Low energy levels
• Lack of attention (inattentiveness)

Diagnosis

Your doctor evaluates your signs and symptoms and sleep history from someone who is close to you. The complete evaluation at the sleep centre involves overnight sleep monitoring.

Polysomnography test in Hyderabad: Experts recommend nocturnal polysomnography test to monitor brain activity, breathing pattern, body movements, lungs, blood oxygen levels and heart activity during sleep.

Sleep apnea test at home (sleep test): It is another option to detect sleep apnea. This is a simple test used at home to measure breathing pattern, airflow, blood oxygen levels and heart rate. This might be the initial test. If the results are abnormal, your doctor may recommend therapy. If your initial results are normal from the portable monitoring devices, then the doctor might recommend polysomnography.

You will go to an ENT doctor if obstructive sleep apnea is the cause of your symptoms. The problem could be due to a blockage in the nose or throat. For central sleep apnea, a neurologist will evaluate your case. Discuss with your ENT surgeon for all the types of Sleep apnea test in Hyderabad.

Treatment for Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea treatment in Hyderabad: The treatment for sleep apnea depends on the type, nature and the symptoms associated with the condition. In less severe cases, only lifestyle changes such as changing sleep positions, quitting smoking and losing weight are recommended. Conditions involving infections and allergies appropriate treatment aimed at treating those conditions will help. For a more advanced and severe type of sleep apnea, several other treatment options are available.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is provided by a machine that maintains higher pressure than the surrounding air to keep upper airway passages open. The air pressure is delivered through a mask worn during sleep. This is the best method to treat moderate to severe sleep apnea.

Other air pressure devices

Sometimes, for the treatment of sleep apnea if CPAP is not effective, bilevel positive airway pressure machines are used. These machines have settings for high and low pressure that respond to your breathing. Similarly, auto-CPAP machines supply bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP). These provide more pressure when you inhale and less when you exhale.

For some people sleeping on the back can make sleep apnea worse, positional therapy is helpful in such cases.

For the apt treatment of sleep apnea, you should always talk to our doctor if you are experiencing any symptoms of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea surgery in Hyderabad: Surgery is the first-line treatment for structural problems contributing to sleep apnea – structural abnormalities in nose and throat. In general, if other treatments do not offer any relief, then surgery is recommended.

For a one-to-one discussion and more details about sleep apnea – regarding lifestyle measures and different types of treatment options, meet Dr Neetu Modgil.

Enquire about Sleep Apnea Test in Hyderabad | Polysomnography Test in Hyderabad | Sleep Apnea Treatment in Hyderabad at CARE HOSPITALS, Gachibowli – for more details call 9999 78 4807