While allergic rhinitis manifests itself with sneezing, runny nose, itching and congestion, it may also present with sleep apnea complaints.
Since sleep apnea causes many health problems such as heart attack or stroke in the brain, it is very important to diagnose it.
Once the relationship between allergic rhinitis and sleep apnea is noticed, it should not be forgotten that it is necessary to investigate and treat allergic rhinitis among the causes of sleep apnea.
Sleep Breathing with Allergic Rhinitis (sleep apnea). Allergic rhinitis manifests itself with sneezing, nasal discharge, itching and congestion. Nasal congestion, in particular, can cause extremely serious problems for patients. Nasal congestion may be seasonal, with pollens in the spring, or it may be year-round, with house dust, molds, and pet allergies such as cats and dogs.
Sleep apnea can be defined as snoring during sleep and stopping breathing during sleep. It can occur for many reasons, but among these, allergic rhinitis can be overlooked. The relationship between allergic rhinitis and sleep apnea has been shown in many studies.
How does sleep apnea occur in patients with allergic rhinitis?
With the arrival of the spring months, allergic rhinitis complaints appear. Additionally, these patients also experience sleep disorders such as snoring and breathing difficulties.
In general, people with allergic complaints experience a disorder in their sleep patterns. The logic is as follows: Allergens cause nasal congestion in allergic people. It causes nasal congestion, dry mouth or narrowing of your airway. This condition manifests itself with enlarged adenoids, which we see more frequently in children, and with narrowing of the upper airways in adults. Due to all these, breathing pauses, "apneas", may occur at night. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which occurs as a pause in breathing at night, disrupts sleep patterns. Therefore, if ongoing allergic reactions prevent your sleep, allergy-related sleep apnea syndrome should come to mind.
Although it is known that seasonal or year-round allergic diseases cause serious problems such as asthma, allergic rhinitis is not a common problem. If not treated properly, it can also cause sleep disorders.
What is the symptom of sleep apnea due to allergic rhinitis?
Sleep apnea can occur for many reasons. In sleep apnea caused by allergic rhinitis, allergic complaints, namely runny nose, itching, congestion, postnasal drip, sneezing and itchy eyes, may be observed. Additionally, if allergic asthma has developed, shortness of breath, cough, and wheezing may occur. Apart from this, the most important symptom of sleep apnea is stopping breathing during sleep.
Other symptoms of sleep apnea:
Restlessness during sleep, Snoring. , Frequent urination, Sweating, Dry mouth, Reflux.
Patients who cannot get enough sleep at night experience headaches, forgetfulness, lack of concentration, and depression when it continues for a long time, not being able to wake up vigorous and active in the morning, and excessive sleepiness. Being extremely sleepy and feeling tired are daytime symptoms of sleep apnea.
How is sleep apnea due to allergic rhinitis diagnosed?
Sleep apnea test to diagnose sleep apnea. It is necessary to do. For the sleep apnea test called polysomnography, an environment is created in a specially created hospital room where brain activity and respiratory events are recorded all night long.
Allergy testing is required by allergists to detect the allergens that cause allergic complaints. The most used tests to diagnose allergy are skin prick tests. Apart from this, blood allergy screening tests can also be used to diagnose allergy.
How is sleep apnea due to allergic rhinitis treated?
Misdiagnosis and untreated allergy Rhinitis and asthma symptoms can cause sleep apnea, which can progress to life-threatening heart disease.
Studies have shown that stopping breathing during sleep increases the risk of heart attack and can lead to important cardiovascular problems such as congestive heart failure and stroke in the brain. The risk of strain on the heart increases due to obstruction or wheezing, which causes difficulty in oxygenating the body, and may therefore trigger a heart attack.
The first step in the treatment of sleep apnea is It is necessary to eliminate the causes that need to be done. If it develops due to anatomical stenosis in the upper respiratory tract, the patient should be evaluated by an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist for surgical intervention.
Positive air pressure (CPAP) therapy should be applied in the treatment of advanced sleep apnea. It reduces the chance of success of CPAP treatment applied without controlling allergic complaints. Especially in sleep apnea accompanied by allergic rhinitis, it is recommended to perform CPAP treatment with a mask, that is, a mask covering the whole face.
If it develops due to allergies, the allergens that cause allergy should be identified and accordingly, a correct allergic rhinitis and asthma treatment will be applied by allergists. is necessary. Allergic rhinitis can be treated with allergy vaccines (immunotherapy) administered by allergists.
Conclusion
Although allergic rhinitis most often causes asthma, it Apart from this, it can also cause sleep disorders.
Sleep apnea, which develops due to nasal congestion due to allergic rhinitis, manifests itself as snoring and stopping of breathing during sleep.
Polysomnography is used in the diagnosis of sleep apnea. Allergy tests must also be performed to show that it is due to allergy.
Complete success in sleep apnea treatment cannot be achieved without treating allergic rhinitis.
As a result of the tests performed by allergists for the treatment of allergic rhinitis, allergy vaccines are discontinued. It is extremely important.
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