Sleep Apnea: A Sleeping Disorder

In the middle of every night, do you suddenly wake up choking and gasping for air? It can not be due to a nightmare every night. You definitely need to look into the matter as you might be suffering from a sleep disorder known as Sleep Apnea.

In the night, does your snoring often make your partner wake up? And in the mornings, are headaches and a dry mouth regular occurrences? As soon as you experience these symptoms, its time to see a doctor, you may be suffering from Sleep Apnea!

Sleep Apnea is a type of sleeping disorder. The word “apnea” is a Greek word, it’s meaning, “want of breath”. Sleep Apnea is a disorder that causes disruption of breathing during sleep. Your breathing either becomes slow or stops completely during sleep. The frequency of disruption can range up to 20 times in an hour. The duration of disruption can last up to 20 seconds, bringing you close to death.

Sleep Apnea devastates your sleeping routine. It also affects your body. There are three categories of sleep apnea. All three are equally lethal.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a widely prevalent type of sleep apnea. It’s caused when your airway gets obstructed due to relaxation of the muscles of the soft palate around the base of tongue. When the airway gets obstructed, it lowers the level of oxygen in the blood and leads to a condition known as hypoxia. It also elevates the blood pressure and increases stress on your heart. These conditions prevent the patient from entering into sound sleep. This makes a person suffer from lack of quality sleep. A person suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea snores in the night and wakes up choking several times and tries desperately to sleep again.

Central Sleep Apnea
Central Sleep Apnea is not common. It is marked by a brain signal flaw. In Central Sleep Apnea, the brain’s signals instructing the body to breathe get flawed. As a result of this delayed signal to breathe, throat breathing, abdominal breathing and oral breathing cease simultaneously. Though the duration of interruption lasts a few seconds, it lowers the oxygen supply to blood and tissues significantly. A person suffering from central sleep apnea experiences high blood pressure, irregular heart beat and even heart stroke.

Mixed Sleep Apnea
Mixed Sleep Apnea is a condition characterized by a person experiencing the combination of symptoms of the two Sleep Apnea conditions— Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is highly prevalent and common in people suffering from Sleep Apnea disorder. Let’s look deep into the symptoms, causes and treatments required for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Causes
There can be several causes that lead to the obstruction of your airway passage during sleep, leading to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. One of the major reasons is that your throat muscles and tongue relax and shrink excessively than normal.

If you are overweight, the soft tissue in your throat can become stiff and enlarged and causes obstruction in the airway passage. The other reasons could be increased size of your adenoids and tonsils, which further contribute in the disruption of flow of air.

Symptoms
The common symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea are choking and gasping for air several times in the night. Snoring loudly is also among a number of symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. If you suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea, you would experience sleepiness during the daytime as well. You would not be able to concentrate and would suffer from dry throat and headache in the mornings. Among other symptoms are rapid weight gain, lethargy, high blood pressure, and lack of concentration and even depression.

Treatments
There are many treatments available for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The common ones are losing weight, avoiding alcohol consumption during the evening and sleeping on your side. Medical treatments include Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and Oxygen Administration. Surgeries are also performed and tracheostomy is a surgery used in treatment of severe Sleep Apnea conditions.

If you feel you are displaying symptoms of sleep apnea you should visit your doctor immediately for formal diagnosis.

Ask a Respiratory Expert

Have a question about your respiratory equipment or supplies? Post it here, and our resident expert will offer advice.

Ask a Mobility Expert

Post your questions here regarding scooters, walkers, wheelchairs, transport chairs, etc. Need an accessibility solution? We may have the advice you are looking for.

Ask a CPAP Expert

Post your questions regarding CPAP/BiLevel equipment and supplies, or for information regarding Sleep Apnea.

Helpful Gadgets for the Elderly

The elderly need a lot of help around the house, but it is not often that each and every member of the family will be around to help. A typical household will not have a hired nurse, and so it becomes the duty of the homeowner to assist their aged parents or grandparents. Assistance may range from simple walking, to getting a hard to reach item. The wisdom comes in the form of self-assistance; that is, in the ability for the elderly to help themselves. This can easily be made possible with proper planning and slight adjustment to your daily routine.

Eliminate obstacles around the house. What may seem like a trifle to an agile twenty-year-old may be a gauntlet for a seventy-year-old. These daily obstacles pose threats ranging from mild to critical. For example, glassware and tile pose a very serious threat, while polycarbonate and carpet virtually eliminates any concern. Problems like that can be remedied by practical thinking: eliminate the obstacle, not the object. Outfitting the house to meet the needs of the elderly, while at the same time preserving the homeowner’s comfort of living, can be a much simpler task than perceived.

Solutions can be entirely within the realm of practicality, while others involve expenses. The most obvious and time-honored solution is to leave all of their personal affects downstairs, assuming they live inside a house with more than a single story. Doing so will sidestep the most frightening scenario: falling down the stairs. If at all possible, ensure that plenty of necessities remain accessible on the first level, especially a bathroom. As a tip, lay out a non-slip surface inside the tub and showers, as well as bath mats on the outside. Inexpensive and easy to install, they deter the most hazardous of daily household injuries.

By way of expenses, outfit the television with a wireless headset. This way, the volume can be turned up to suit their needs without disrupting the rest of the household. Another measure would be to enable subtitles and captions for movies and television. Other gadgets to consider are audio reminders, which will remind a person of certain tasks via pre-recorded messages. In short, gadgets of all kinds can aid in everyday life just as well as practical decisions. In times of boredom, say, handheld portable gaming systems integrate very well into the lives of the elderly. For example, crossword puzzles and other games that aid in critical thinking and coordination are easily accessible on Nintendo’s own DS Lite.

With these tips in mind, use your home to their advantage, all without necessitating too much change. Too often can discomfort and accidents happen at the smallest detail. Sometimes the elderly may be at home for hours at a time, alone. The best option would be to organize a lifestyle alongside your aged parents or grandparents, a lifestyle that suits them. This makes it easier for everyone involved, as self-assistance is the most ideal way to retain their freedom and their dignity.

Fraud Prevention Tips For The Elderly

Older people may be victims of frauds like con games and insurance, home repair, telephone, or internet scams. Even “trusted” friends or family members have been known to steal an older person’s money or property. The following tips may help:

Don’t be afraid to hang up on telephone salespeople. You aren’t being impolite. You are taking care of yourself! Remember, you can say no to any offer.

Don’t give any personal information, including your credit card number or bank account, over the phone unless you were the one who made the call.

Don’t take money from your bank account if a stranger tells you to. In one common swindle, a thief pretends to be a bank employee and asks you to take out money to “test” a bank teller. Banks do not check their employees this way.

Don’t be fooled by deals that seem too good to be true. They are often rip-offs. Beware of deals that ask for a lot of money up front and promise you more money later. Check with your local Better Business Bureau to get more information about the record of any company before doing business with them.

Do be on guard about hiring people who come door-to-door looking for home repair work. They may not be trained to do the work, and they may overcharge you. You should try to check their references. Always spell out the details of the work you want done in writing. Never pay for the whole job in advance.

Avoid Identity Theft

How can someone steal your identity? Using your name, Social Security number, or credit card without your okay is called identity theft and it’s a serious crime. Be sure to protect yourself:

Do keep information about your checking account private. Put all new and cancelled checks in a safe place, report any stolen checks right away, and carefully look at your monthly bank account statement.

Do shred everything that has personal information about you written on it.

Do be very careful when buying things online. Websites without security may not protect your credit card or bank account information. Look for information saying that a website has a secure server before buying anything online.

Do check with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to find out how to protect yourself from common online scams that can trick you into revealing your personal or financial information.

The inability to use CPAP for the entire night

On many nights, new CPAP users begin their night with a good effort by using their CPAP.  Sometimes, however, compliance is not continued throughout the night.  The inability to use CPAP for the entire night is a great disservice to your health. The greater part of REM sleep, the most restful part of sleep, is toward the end of the night between the hours of 4 to 6 am. REM sleep is often referred to as “Dream Sleep” and is essential to getting a restful night’s sleep.

There are 5 stages of sleep beginning with stage 1 and ending with stage 5.  Stage 1 lasts approximately 1-7 minutes at the onset of sleep. It is a transitional stage between wakefulness and sleep. Stage 2 takes up the largest portion of your Sleep time.  While it is a bit deeper than stage 1, it is still considered to be a light shallow stage of sleep.  Stages 3 and 4 are deeper slow wave sleep. Stage 3 is more of a transitional stage to 4 some where between 2 and 4. REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement) or Dream Sleep is Stage 5 Sleep.  During this stage, muscles are completely relaxed and slack. The most significant Obstructive Sleep Apnea events occur while on your back and in REM sleep due to the loss in muscle tone. While muscle tone is still present in stage 1-4, it has disappeared during stage 5 and so it no longer helps to keep the airway open.

The first REM appears about 90 minutes after you go to sleep.  Then the cycle begins again back to stage 2 as the night progresses.  Stage 3 and 4 get shorter and your REM gets longer.  At 5 am your REM is at its peak lasting up to 1 hour long.  By this time of the night, your stage 3 and 4 are almost non-existent. A normal sleep pattern has between 4 and 5 REM cycles. The night’s sleep cycle often goes like this, Stage 1–2-3-4 -REM then back to stage 2 -3-4 –REM then back again to 2 repeat 4 to 5 times with the last one have very little to No stage 3 and 4 in it and the REM time getting longer and longer while the Deep sleep stage 3 and 4 get shorter.  What sleep apnea does is to disrupt the natural sleep cycle. The deeper the Sleep cycle, the more OSA your going to have. When you obstructed and need air, you have to come out of those deeper stages.  Once back to stage 1- 2 you can now take a breath.  This fragments your Deep sleep and REM by not allowing you any deep sleep, or very little real restful sleep and you will never feel refreshed.  An OSA person will get a lot of stage 2 light sleep and very little Deep (Slow Wave) or REM sleep. So even though you say “how can I not be sleeping well, I sleep 9-10 hours a night and nap during the day!”.  The answer is you’re getting a lot of sleep but not the quality of sleep that allows you to feel rested.

In conclusion if you’re taking your CPAP off at 2 or 3 am your doing yourself a disservice just before you need it the most. Your apnea will be at its worst and your reparative sleep at its best.

Sleep Apnea And Snoring

Of all the snoring related physical ailments, arguably the most severe and ironically least understood is a condition called Sleep Apnea. These two words should be emblazoned in the minds of every snorer, and anyone who lives with or cares about the safety and well being of a snorer.

The word apnea in the term sleep apnea derives from the Greek term for absence of breathing. That, in a nutshell, gives a sense of how dangerous sleep apnea can be; it literally refers to a condition where breathing stops during sleep.

There are two types of sleep apnea:

1) Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) – This most common form of apnea occurs when throat muscles relax.

2) Central Sleep Apnea – This form of apnea occurs when the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.

Sleep apnea and snoring are directly linked because during snoring the airway of the trachea is constantly subjected to repetitive collapse and obstruction; in fact, it is that collapse and obstruction that leads to the vibration that, ultimately, manifests itself as audible snoring. Obstructive Sleep Apnea thus occurs when, due to that continuous collapse of the airway, breathing actually stops.

Although Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs two to three times as often in older male adults, it can affect young or old, male or female. Even children can have sleep apnea, a problem more common than once thought.

Certain factors can put you more at risk of getting sleep apnea:

Obesity & excess weight  (leading to an enlarged neck and excess soft tissue in the trachea)

Enlarged adenoids and/or tonsils (airway can become blocked when tonsils or adenoids are too large)

Sex and age (older men are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea than women are)

Drinking alcohol (sedates the throat muscles and causes them to collapse)

Cigarette smoking (which inflames the upper airway)

While death is obviously possible due to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (and subsequent lack of breathing), there are many very serious effects that, while not fatal, are most certainly severe.

Even when it is not fatal, Sleep apnea deprives the body of essential oxygen; and hence, overall blood oxygen levels are reduced and concurrently, carbon dioxide levels rise. This can lead to toxic buildup that can cause heart disease, stroke, and brain damage.

Sleep Apnea: A Silent Killer

Getting a good night sleep is essential for your well-being. However, many people don’t realize that they are often sleep-deprived because of breathing problems. Over 90 percent of people who snore are at risk for sleep disordered breathing, or sleep apnea.

According to the National Sleep Foundation research, about 18 million of adults are not getting enough sleep because of sleep apnea. Suffering with sleep deprivation will make you feel tired and groggy, which leads to poor productivity at work and even result in bad driving habits. Your bedmate can eventually get tired of your constant moving and breathing irregularities which can cause stress and strain on your relationship and lead to separate bedrooms.

Pauses in breathing while asleep is called sleep apnea or sleep disordered breathing. Most often adults are diagnosed with obstructive apnea, or sleep disordered breathing which is caused by the blockage of the breathing passage by tonsils and adenoids.

Sleep apnea affects you in ways that you couldn’t dream of. The vicious circle of sleep apnea starts when a throat is blocked, blood oxygen level falls due to the lack of breath, and a person wakes up gasping for air.

People with sleep apnea often feel tired and sleepy during the day because their sleep quality is affected, as they move out of deep sleep and into light sleep several times during the night. These periods of not breathing, as short as they are, will inevitably wake you up from deep sleep. As a result, you are not getting enough rest from your sleep. Plus, sleep apnea causes a reduction of oxygen in the bloodstream which results in overall deprivation of cellular functions in your body.

If you snore, sleep restlessly, gasp and pause when breathing at sleep, especially during deep sleep, most likely you have sleep apnea. You can detect these symptoms yourself, or most likely you have been told about them by your partner. Sleep apnea is most common in people who are overweight. Men are also more at risk than women. Almost all people who have sleep apnea snore – at least once during the night. However, not all people who snore have sleep apnea. It’s important to check for other sleep apnea symptoms to see if you have this medical condition.

The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are snoring and sleepiness during the day. Other symptoms include:

Restless tossing and turning during sleep.
Nighttime choking
Nighttime sweating
Mild to severe chest pain
Waking tired after sleep
Having problems with memory and concentration
Feeling irritable and nervous
Experiencing personality changes
Morning headaches
Heartburn
Swelling of the legs

Undetected sleep apnea may increase your risk for hypertension, heart attack or stroke, as well as diabetes and work-related and driving accidents. Sleep apnea can also cause brain damage and result in shorter life span.

If sleep apnea is successfully treated and you start sleeping better, you will experience a huge boost of energy. Many people even report having less asthma, they are calmer, with more positive outlook; they have improved stamina and better functioning immune system. So if you suspect you or your partner is suffering with this condition you should speak to your doctor to discuss possible treatment plans.

Diabetes and Your Feet

We diabetics have to take special care of our feet, or we can find them troubled in
two ways: reduced blood circulation and nerve damage.

Here’s what to look for and some prevention ideas.

Symptom:

If your feet are constantly cold, your legs are sore when you walk, or your feet hurt
in bed at night, you may be suffering from poor blood circulation. This, in turn, can
slow down the process of healing when you have cuts or other damage to your feet.

Prevention:

Staying physically active is one way to help improve your circulation. You also need
to control your blood fat and sugar levels, as well as your blood pressure. And of
course, don’t smoke.

Symptom:

If your feet are numb, you have a burning sensation on the soles of your feet or pins
and needles in your feet, you have signs of possible nerve damage.

Foot nerves are the longest in our bodies and are therefore susceptible to damage
by diabetes. If these nerves are damaged, the feelings are lessened, so we could
have the cuts or blisters that can lead to ulcers, and we wouldn’t even know about
it.

Prevention:

Check your feet regularly to be sure there are no signs of injury. If you develop
corns or calluses, have them treated immediately by a podiatrist. Wash and dry
carefully between your toes, and keep your nails trimmed and smooth.

Everyone likes to have their feet pampered, but for us diabetics it not only feels
good, it also prevents serious health problems in the future. So book that foot
massage now!