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Sleep Apnoea - Sleep Apnoea symptom, treatment, causes

Sleep Apnoea is the medical importance of these conditions, together known as sleep-disordered breathing, has been highlighted in recent years.

Everyone snores a bit sometimes. During sleep the muscles in and around the upper airways relax, especially at the back of the throat. This can lead to changes in the internal shape of the airway so that air reverberates as it is breathed in when the mouth is open (try to snore with your mouth closed - you can't!), Snoring is more common, and tends to become chronic, as people get older in men in mouth-breathers, and in those who are overweight.

Snoring is usually harmless (apart from disturbing nearby sleepers), but in some persistent snorers the airway can collapse so much that breathing becomes obstructed and stops for a short while - about 10 to IS seconds. This is obstructive sleep apnoea, a condition that affects up to 4 per cent of the population - including 10 per cent or more of middle-aged men.

During obstructive sleep apnoea the sufferer automatically seeks to regain breath. with much heaving of the chest. Trying to breathe against a 'gag' causes abnormal air pressure changes in the lungs and in the flow of blood in lungs and heart; this can lead to increased blood pressure and irregular heartbeat.

After 10 to 15 seconds without breathing the sleeper starts to wake up because the falling oxygen level in the blood alerts the brain to the emergency. This partial waking restores the tone of the airway muscles, which open to allow breathing to restart with a massive inrush of air that produces a loud, gasping snore. Over the next 10 seconds or so the oxygen in the blood returns to normal and full sleep resumes.

Obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) is a sleep disorder in which a person has irregular breathing at night and is excessively sleepy during the day. These episodes, called apneas (literally, "without breath"), each last long enough so one or more breaths are missed, and occur repeatedly throughout sleep. There are two types obstructive which is the most common type and central - which is rare. This fact sheet will discuss obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Sleep and breathing are among the essential functions for life to continue, yet both are highly complex. A breath results when the diaphragm (the muscle between the chest and abdomen) and the intercostal muscles (the muscles between the ribs) contract. This causes the ribcage and lungs to expand allowing air to enter the lungs. There are a number of other muscles in the nose and at the back of the throat, which also contract when we breathe in. This helps to open up the airway, better enabling air to move into the lungs. There are two types of sleep REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM (which has four stages ranging from light to deep sleep). The body is most restored during the periods of deep sleep. A sleep cycle, which involves moving through all stages of sleep, takes approximately 100 minutes and is repeated throughout the night. During sleep the muscles in the upper airway are more relaxed and so the airway is narrower. This usually causes no problems with breathing during sleep.

Causes of Sleep Apnoea

The common Causes of Sleep Apnoea :

• Nasal congestion.
• Alcohol, especially in the evening, which relaxes the throat muscles and hampers the brain's reaction to sleep disordered breathing.
• Large tonsils.
• Certain illnesses, like reduced thyroid hormone or the presence of a very large goitre.
• Medications, such as sleeping tablets and sedatives.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnoea

Some common Sleep Apnoea :

• Dry mouth on waking.
• Irritability or change in personality.
• Lack of concentration.
• Excessive daytime sleepiness.
• Frequent awakenings during the night.
• Difficulties with breathing.
• Feeling unrested after sleep.
• Excessive urination at night (nocturia).

PROBLEMS IN SLEEP APNOEA

Although the obstructive sleep apnoea cycle lasts only half a minute or so, it usually repeats itself often. in some cases several hundred times per night. Because people need to be awake for at least 15 seconds to realise that they have woken. the frequent brief arousals are usually not noticed by sufferers, who may think they have slept soundly. However. the disruption of the sleep cycle takes its toll. causing increased sleepiness during the day. People with sleep apnoea are at increased risk of daytime accidents due to decreased alertness. The abnormalities of chest pressure. blood pressure, heartbeat and oxygen in the blood also increase the risk of HEART ATTACK or STROKE during obstructive sleep apnoea.

Not everyone who snores and sometimes feels drowsy or nods off if physically relaxed is likely to have obstructive sleep apnoea. We all have sleepy times, mostly after lunch and after 10 p:m probably because of chemical changes in the brain at those times. If you think you may have obstructive sleep apnoea, tell your doctor. Diagnosis and treatment are available, mostly from special sleep centres in hospitals.