Sleep Apnea is a life-threatening, treatable disease that manifests itself with snoring and stopping of breathing during sleep and causes many chronic diseases. It is generally more common in men. These people are mostly overweight and have short necks. It is also seen in thin individuals and women. Its prevalence in the population varies between 3-5%. It is also frequently seen in children, especially those with inflammation of the adenoids and tonsils, and in cases of anatomical disorders in the face and jaw.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SLEEP APNEA?
Sleep apnea: snoring, shortness of breath during sleep, drowsiness during the day, urination at night, sweating during sleep, waking up tired in the morning, lack of concentration, irritability, forgetfulness, anxiety. It may present with many symptoms such as anxiety disorder, depression or work problems. Often individuals are not aware that they are sick. Hypertension, diabetes, heart and nervous system diseases are more common in these people. Due to the weakened immune system, they are more susceptible to infections. In addition, traffic accidents and work accidents are common in these disease cases.
WHAT DOES THE SLEEP LABORATORY DO?
The definitive diagnosis of sleep apnea syndrome is a sleep laboratory examination. With night sleep examination, the disease is diagnosed by monitoring the stages of sleep, breathing, movement and heart functions.
STAGES OF SLEEP APNEA
There are mild, moderate and severe stages of sleep apnea. In sleep examination, if the number of respiratory arrests per hour is between 5 and 15, we call it mild, if 15-30 is moderate, and if it is over 30, we call it severe.
SLEEP APNEA TREATMENT
If there is a condition that blocks the adenoid or throat passage in children, removing it causes it to expand. Apart from this, device therapy increases the body's oxygenation by keeping the respiratory tract open. Thus, it contributes to the recovery of the patient.
When sleep apnea is left untreated, it causes high blood pressure, heart failure, and even sudden death during sleep. Especially patients with high blood pressure and heart failure need urgent treatment. People with sleep apnea cannot lose weight with a diet. These patients lose weight only after treatment. After treatment, We can see patients who reduce their diabetes medications, stop their blood pressure medications, and lose weight. Since it is a disorder that seriously affects the person's cardiovascular system and metabolism, its treatment should not be neglected. It is important to evaluate and treat patients holistically.
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