Information On Obstructive Sleep Apnea

One of the very first steps in getting well is awareness

. If the individual doesn't know the problem exists, he can't take steps to remedy it. This is true also of obstructive sleep apnea. Few people know what the signs of apnea are. They may know that they snore (a major clue), but may think snoring is only a risk-free nuisance. In fact, this problem may perhaps be innocuous. But when snoring is combined with conditions of persistent drowsiness, morning headache, lack of night dreams, it may warrant further investigation. If you prefer to take accountability for your own physical condition, it is best to start by educating yourself what obstructive sleep apnea is.

See in your mind's eye a picture of a section of an open pharynx: a nasal cavity above, with soft palate hanging down & uvula at the tip. The mouth is below, with the tongue. Beneath that is the epiglottis that has the purpose of preventing food and liquid from entering the trachea (tube to the lungs). Inside an unobstructed airway, the septum (cartilage that divides the nostrils) is straight and leads toward the back of the nasal cavity at the nasopharynx. The soft palate hangs down at the back of the mouth. The tongue is flat in the mouth, with enough room between it and the back of the pharynx. Same with the epiglottis, that juts up from the front of the throat above the glottis and vocal folds (or cords). Air can flow freely from the trachea up into the back of the throat. Notice it is possible to breathe through the oral cavity and through the nasal cavity.

But as soon as someone susceptible to snoring or apnea reclines, frequently this tissue in the back of the throat, technically known as the pharynx, starts to sag down. As the person inhales, particularly if she has a deviated septum, meaning that the division between the nostrils is not exactly straight, then frequently the air comes in already pressurized. When this air is drawn in and encounters floppy tissue, the flesh vibrates, up and down quickly, which will cause the well-known snoring noise.

Obstructive sleep apnea is frequently accompanied by snoring. However it is unlike snoring since rather than just the soft palate sagging, the tongue and the epiglottis may possibly be floppy too. The pharynx possibly will be fatty. Drooping flesh and sleep apnea are often linked to obesity. If there's spare tissue here and in the muscular tissues in the back of the pharynx, the sagging may be still worse.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a more serious ailment than snoring. Not only do you have difficulty getting air in through the nasal cavity, there is difficulty getting air through the mouth also. When the tongue sags down, it can effectively block the airway. Air can't get through the oral cavity or the nasal cavity either. This apnic event can go on for periods of ten seconds or more, whereupon the sufferer repeatedly gasps and wakes slightly knowing that they require air. When the epiglottis sags down, like the tongue, it prevents the air going either through the nasal cavity or the oral cavity. Worst of all, you may have all three of these things happening simultaneously when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and snoring.

These periods of no air, known as apnic events, are often accompanied by a panic reaction and release of adrenaline. The physiological anxiety of apnic events can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, and heart failure. Many snorers are ignorant of the fact that they might suffer from mild, moderate, or even severe obstructive sleep apnea. A consultation with a sleep doctor and a trip to a medical sleep center may cost up to two thousand dollars or more. Oral surgery, continuous positive airway pressure machines, and oral devices often prescribed to fix the condition often cost thousands of dollars more, and may leave the unsuspecting sleep apnea victim permanently changed for the worse.

by: editoraa13de

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