Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea: Beyond Snoring

Do you snore? Have you been told that you stop breathing, snort, or gasp for air during the night? Do you experience daytime sleepiness, despite getting a full night’s sleep, or fall asleep while reading or watching TV? If so, you may well have obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea, which is caused by a partial or complete blockage of the airway by the tissues in the back of the throat, is marked by periodic cessation of breathing while asleep. Not surprisingly, this disrupts sleep and leads to problems with fatigue. But sleep apnea also more than doubles your risk of stroke, triples risk of hypertension, quadruples risk of arrhythmia, and quintuples risk of diabetes! It is also linked with erectile problems, immune dysfunction, memory loss, and concentration difficulties. For an overview of sleep apnea, click here.

The Conventional Approach to Sleep Apnea

Experts estimate that one in five adults and disturbing numbers of children have some degree of sleep apnea. Yet 80 to 90 percent of them are either undiagnosed or untreated. This is partially due to the “medicalization” of sleep apnea: Conventional physicians usually require expensive polysomnograms, or sleep studies, before diagnosing and treating sleep apnea. This is absurd—and it’s keeping people from getting treatment for this very common and serious condition. Click here to learn more.

Alternative Therapies for Sleep Apnea

There’s an easier way to screen for sleep apnea: nocturnal pulse oximetry. This test simply requires you to wear a small, clip-on sensor on your finger during the night. The sensor is attached to a small monitor that records pulse and blood oxygen levels as you sleep. Studies suggest that this test reliably detects sleep apnea—without the high cost and inconvenience of a full-blown sleep study.

The “Mercedes” of sleep apnea treatments is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). CPAP devices gently blow air through a small mask to prevent the tissues in the throat from collapsing. CPAP may take a bit of getting used to, but benefits are remarkable for anyone suffering with sleep apnea. In addition to restoring energy and boosting mental function, treatment often results in improvements in blood pressure, angina, and other aspects of cardiovascular disease. (To read how treatment changes lives, click here.)

Lifestyle Changes for Sleep Apnea

Obesity is a significant risk factor for sleep apnea, and even moderate weight loss can improve this condition. There appears to be a reciprocal relationship between obesity and sleep apnea—in addition to weight loss being an effective treatment for sleep apnea, treating sleep apnea also makes it easier to control appetite and lose weight.

Avoiding alcohol may also be helpful. This is especially true for individuals who snore and have episodes of sleep apnea only after having a drink. Taking sedatives or analgesics at bedtime can have similar effects, so getting off such drugs may help. Other lifestyle changes that may help anyone with sleep apnea include smoking cessation and sleeping on your side rather than your back.

Bottom line, if you snore, you likely have sleep apnea. Get tested and treated.