Sleep apnea symptoms reddit community discussions

People are going crazy on sleep apnea symptoms reddit. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) is a common pathology associats with a sharp decrease or complete cessation of breathing during a night’s rest. The disease is characteriz by a temporary fall of the soft tissues of the upper respiratory tract. Which leads to their complete overlap. Because of this, for a certain time (from 2 to 60 seconds), a person stops breathing with preserved respiratory movements of the muscles (in 80-90% of cases).

SOAS does not pose a direct threat to human life. During respiratory arrest, the concentration of oxygen in the blood decreases and the amount of carbon dioxide increases. After reaching the critical moment. The center locates in the medulla oblongata is stimulate, which leads to the resumption of breathing. At this point, the patient begins to actively snore. The number of respiratory movements increases. The number of such episodes per night can reach hundreds or more.

Danger of the disease- sleep apnea symptoms reddit

The danger of the disease lies in the micro-awakenings of the brain from sleep after each apnea. This leads to a violation of a person’s night rest. Which affects the metabolism in every cell of the body. Patients suffering from OSA are at risk of developing cardiovascular pathology (myocardial infarction), diabetes mellitus, obesity, and chronic respiratory diseases. The lack of normal sleep reduces a person’s ability to work. It also causes daytime sleepiness, and worsens the quality of life of the patient. The fact of a sharp increase in the number of accidents involving patients who suffer from OSA has been proven. Therefore, this problem is relevant both for the person himself and for his environment.

Types of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is a disease that somnologists classify by severity. This division is based on the number of episodes of apnea during night rest. In the process of diagnosis, They calculate the index of respiratory disorders. The indicator includes not only apnea, but also hypopnea (decreased respiratory activity), as well as episodes of micro-arousal of a person. Users frequently discuss sleep apnea symptoms reddit, seeking advice and sharing their experiences.

Symptoms

Many users shared their experiences about sleep apnea symptoms reddit. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is a pathology that is accompanied by a typical clinical picture. The most common symptom, which is typical for 99% of patients, is heavy snoring during nighttime micro-arousal. Most people asked about sleep apnea symptoms reddit.

However, this symptom is also problematic for the qualitative diagnosis of the disease. The fact is that 80-85% of patients do not pay attention to this clinical sign. And ignore it or try to write it off on the features of the physique. According to American statistics, it is possible to diagnose OSA only in 15-20% of cases. Therefore, patients should be more attentive to their health. People should ask their loved ones if there is night snoring.

In addition sleep apnea symptoms reddit, OSA is accompanied by the following signs:

Episodes of night awakening. The patient does not always remember them, but relatives living nearby may pay attention to this.

Daytime fatigue and drowsiness. The patient may even fall asleep while driving a car, at work.

Fatness. Due to a violation of the rhythm of sleep, there is a change in the normal synthesis of hormones that regulate metabolism. The deposition of lipids in the subcutaneous tissue increases. This leads to a gain of excess body weight and further aggravates the situation.

Increased blood pressure. The lack of normal sleep disrupts the function of peripheral vessels. There is a malfunction in the day and night pressure monitoring system. This is manifested by increasing hypertension.

Causes of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

The development of OSA is based on the mechanical overlap of the upper respiratory tract. This is due to the relaxation of the soft tissues of the mouth and nasopharynx during sleep, which is accompanied by their narrowing. Normally, there is no total obstruction and the person sleeps peacefully.

Factors that increase the likelihood of developing obstructive sleep apnea syndrome are:

anatomical features – too short airways, long palatine tongue, short lower jaw;

enlargement of the tonsils on the background of chronic infection or acute inflammation;

curvature of the nasal septum;

fatness;

bad habits – alcohol consumption and smoking contribute to a violation of the tone of the muscles of the upper respiratory tract;

taking sleeping pills – this group of medications relaxes smooth muscles. This increases the risk of obstruction.

Age and gender also affect the prevalence of the disease. According to statistics, OSA develops in 9% of men and 4% of women after the age of 30. The greatest number of cases of the disease is registered among people aged 50-60 years.

According to sleep apnea symptoms reddit, patients with OSA, the ability to work is reduced and the psycho-emotional sphere is changed. 30-48% of men develop erectile dysfunction associated with overwork. With timely initiation of treatment, these changes are reversible. Therefore, it is important to seek specialized help in identifying the primary signs of the disease.

Diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

A preliminary diagnosis of OSA is establishes during a conversation with the patient and his relatives. The greatest attention should pay to the simultaneous presence of at least two of the following three complaints.

episodes of night snoring and/or respiratory arrest;

chronic daytime fatigue;

arterial hypertension (blood pressure over 140/90 mmHg).

When detect these signs, the somnologist prescribes examinations to the patient aimed at assessing the quality of night sleep and respiratory function during rest.

The “gold” standard for the diagnosis of the disease is inpatient polysomnography under the supervision of medical personnel. The technique uses in specialized clinics and allows you to assess the severity of the patient as accurately as possible and choose the best treatment option for the disease. If necessary, video monitoring can carry out to assess the respiratory movements of the chest and anterior abdominal wall.

Stationary polysomnography provides the somnologist with important information obtained during sleep:

assessment of respiratory function (exact number of episodes of hypo- and apnea);

the number of heartbeats;

oxygen concentration in the blood.

To assess the current state of health, doctors also prescribe traditional laboratory tests – a general blood test, urine, biochemical blood testing, including a lipidogram. Comprehensive diagnostics is aims at assessing the condition of all organs and systems.it was eye-opening to see how many people shared similar experiences on sleep apnea symptoms reddit.

Methods of treatment of OSA

Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea is aimed at ensuring normal airway patency at night.

Conservative treatment

To date, the “gold” standard of treatment is non-invasive ventilation with constant positive airflow pressure during sleep (CPAP therapy).

The essence of the technique is to select the optimal pressure under which air is supplied through the mask. This creates conditions that exclude the possibility of obstruction. The selection of the therapy regimen is individual and is carried out by a somnologist after a comprehensive assessment of the condition and severity of pathology in a particular patient.

In parallel, work is being carried out to eliminate risk factors:

fighting obesity (diet, exercise);

adequate hypertension therapy;

normalization of the rhythm of work and rest.

Surgical treatment

Surgical treatment is of an auxiliary nature and is used in the presence of anatomical anomalies of the upper respiratory tract.

Prevention

There is no specific prevention of OSA. The emphasis is on combating risk factors for the development of the disease.

body weight control;

treatment of hypertension;

dosed physical activity;

stress minimization;

timely treatment of diseases of the respiratory tract and internal organs.

An important aspect of the prevention of the development of complications of OSA is the early treatment for specialized help in identifying the characteristic symptoms of the disease. Rehabilitation When selecting the optimal regimen of CPAP therapy. A somnologist can completely eliminate unpleasant symptoms of the disease. However, it is worth considering that over time, when such treatment is stopped, the disease recurs.

Rehabilitation

When selecting the optimal mode of CPAP therapy, a somnologist can completely eliminate unpleasant symptoms of the disease. However, it is worth considering that over time, when such treatment is stopped, the disease recurs. In the case of surgical methods of correction of anatomical anomalies of the upper respiratory tract, rehabilitation provides for regular bandages until complete tissue healing and limitation of physical overstrain in the first 1-2 months after the intervention. In each case, the surgeon explains to the patient how he should behave, taking into account the specifics of a particular operation.

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