To enjoy good health it is necessary to take into account three factors: nutrition, physical exercise and rest. It is not the first time that we have talked to you about the importance of the quantity and quality of sleep, but it is that the ability to get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is one of the most difficult objectives for the population. Even so, knowing the benefits it brings to health, weight maintenance and disposition towards sports and food, it is interesting that you value how your night rest is.
Right now you may be laughing at the possibility of sleeping so many hours in a row, and on a regular basis. Stress, family conciliation, the use of technologies, depression or the consumption of energy drinks are factors that directly influence the proper rest of the body. But there is another one that goes much further than these: sleep apnea.
What is sleep apnea?
This respiratory disorder occurs frequently and can become chronic. Breathing interruptions while we sleep are due to the closure of the upper respiratory tract (nostrils, mouth, pharynx, and larynx). In these cuts (with frequencies of 30 or more times per hour), oxygen does not reach the lungs. In addition, the pauses can be from seconds to two minutes, and when the air is recovered it is normal for a loud snore to be emitted.
Sleep apnea is classified into two different types:
- Hypopnea/Obstructive. It occurs when the soft tissue in the back of the throat obstructs the airway.
- sleep central. It happens when the brain refuses to tell the muscles that control breathing to do their job.
In addition to causing difficulty getting restful sleep and fatigue, sleep apnea can exacerbate high blood pressure, lead to diabetes or heart problems, contribute to depression... symptom are clear: loud snoring, tiredness during the day, periods of interrupted breathing during sleep, insomnia, excessive sleepiness, and cardiovascular, metabolic, and inflammatory disorders.
What treatments are there?
It is often related to the obesityTherefore, a healthy lifestyle (having a healthy weight and quitting smoking) is one of the most effective treatments. Also try not to sleep on your back and avoid alcohol and tranquilizers. If it does not work and you have sleep apnea for another reason, the best known treatment is the use of air pressure.
La continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) forces air into a sleeping person's nose with a mask attached to a portable machine. This keeps the airways open. This nasal or nasobucal mask is used at night when we go to sleep and connects to a device that we place near the bed. More than 90% of patients who use this method manage to solve the problem of sleep apnea. In the first days there is usually a significant improvement in daytime fatigue, in addition to waking up with a feeling of well-being.
Even so, you should keep in mind that this method is not curative, it only works when it is used.
Finally we also find Surgical treatment of different types, although all need an examination by an otolaryngologist. The operation will depend on the severity and location of the abnormalities. For example, if it is in the nasal passages, a correction of the nasal septum can be done. The most common is the resection of the soft palate, although on some occasions several techniques are combined to end the problem.
Between 30 and 50% of patients who undergo the operation resolve their problem effectively. In addition, there is a greater chance of a cure in non-obese people, with a healthy lifestyle and with a not very serious apnea picture.