Obstructive sleep apnea is a health condition that results in breathing problems while sleeping. Under this condition, individuals are unable to breathe for a short period as they sleep at night. It is due to a blockage of the respiratory channel. Your chest muscles cannot open the tracks of your airway and pull in oxygen to the lungs. The body of the patient takes a jerk, and the breathing continues after a loud cast. Such a sleep disorder reduces the flow of oxygen and can also disrupt the rhythm of the heart.
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Diagnosis of the condition
Your health care provider undertakes a physical examination and a few tests based on your symptoms to identify your condition. The medical expert examines the mouth, nose, and throat for any abnormalities during the physical examination. Some doctors also analyze the circumference of the waist and neck. In case of severity of the disorder, your general practitioner might ask you to consult a sleep specialist for further evaluation.
Clinical examination
Your health care expert might recommend several tests to detect sleep apnea disorder. The tests undertaken to identify the problem are as follows:
Whole night monitoring through polysomnography.
Under polysomnography, a piece of equipment is attached to the patient’s body to monitor the functioning of the heart-brain and breathing. It also monitors the movement of the Limbs and the levels of oxygen during the hours of sleep. Under split night sleep study, the Healthcare provider monitors the patient for the first few hours of the night. After that, the team might wait for the patient to provide airway pressure in the second half. You can rule out sleep disorders with the help of polysomnography, such as sleepiness during the day. In some instances, health experts advise a home version of polysomnography to identify obstructive sleep apnea disorder. The clinical examination encompasses the measurement of breathing patterns, oxygen levels, and airflow within the individual.
Treatment of the disorder
For undertaking OSA treatment, doctors recommend lifestyle changes, therapies, and surgery if the condition is severe.
Lifestyle change
- It is essential to losing some weight if the patient is suffering from obesity.
- Regular exercise also plays a crucial role in treating sleep disorders.
- You must minimize the consumption of alcohol and avoid drinking at bedtime.
- Smoking also affects the quality of sleep. People with sleep apnea disorders should quit smoking.
- Another remedy for a sleep disorder is to clear nasal congestion through medicines.
- Some health experts also recommend avoiding sleeping on the back.
- Avoid taking medication to ease sleep as it may increase dependency.
Therapeutic approach
Airway pressure
Positive Airway pressure is an effective solution to your Sleep Apnea disorder. Your doctor might fix a machine under this procedure to allow air pressure to pass through your nose and mouth during sleeping hours. Airway pressure minimizes the blockage of air while you are sleeping. It is a consistent and successful method to treat sleep disorders. Nowadays there has been advancement in the air pressure machines thereby making it smaller and less noisy.
Mouthpiece
People with mild symptoms of sleep apnea treat their problems with the help of oral devices. A mouthpiece or oral device is an alternative to positive air pressure and reduces sleeplessness at night, thereby enhancing the life quality.
Before planning your treatment, the team at the sleep center might monitor your breathing overnight. It helps to identify the different functions of your body.