A sleep disorder is a disorder in the sleep patterns of animals and humans. Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder that is characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or shallow breathing while sleeping. Apnea is the term used to describe pauses in breathing. These pauses can last for minutes and may occur more than 30 times in an hour. Abnormally shallow breathing is called hypopnea. This disorder is usually diagnosed by an overnight test called polysomnogram.
Obstructive; central; and complex or mixed are the three kinds of this apnea. Obstructive is when breathing is interrupted by a physical block to their airflow despite respiratory effort. Snoring often accompanies this form. Central is when there is a lack of respiratory effort that interrupts the normal breathing cycle. Many individuals who suffer from these disorders are unaware of it.
The effects of these disorders can impact the cognition of a person. Common symptoms and effects: slowed reaction time, problems with vision, trouble processing information and daytime fatigue. Some effects on the behavior include moodiness, aggressiveness and decreased motivation. Many of these reactions can negatively impact work, especially in occupations where machine operating and manual labor are required.
Diagnosis guidelines for these disorders may be variegated. Because of this, many physicians perform several studies and exams before finalizing a diagnosis. In some cases, evaluation of clinical symptoms and results from a test will suffice. Oximetry may be done in place of a polysomnogram. The oximetry is done at the home of an individual and is sometimes a preferred alternative.
OSA is the most common form of sleep-disordered breathing. The risk for this disorder increases with age, smoking, diabetes and increased body weight. Common symptoms: daytime tiredness, restlessness and snoring. During CSA, the respiratory control systems of the brain are not balanced. A person struggling with this will stop breathing and start up again. Mixed and complex apnea is a combination of central and obstructive disorders. Often, when OSA is severe or constant, CSA develops.
Treatment often begins with behavioral therapy. Mild cases may only requite subtle changes in lifestyle such as avoiding sleeping pills and alcohol and resting on the side of the body. The Pillar Procedure may also be utilized. The continuous positive airway pressure, CPAP, or automatic positive airway pressure, APAP, is commonly used in moderate-to-severe cases. A custom mouthpiece that shifts the jaw and opens the airway is used in oral appliance therapy. Surgery is said to be the most effective treatment with its 95 percent cure rate. Maxillomandibular advancement is the most common and effective of surgery for this problem.
Alternative methods for treatment: oropharyngeal exercises and playing the didgeridoo. The didgeridoo is a wind instrument that has been linked to reducing sleepiness, snoring and sleep disorders in patients. By strengthening the airway muscles, this instrument reduces the chances of those muscles collapsing while asleep.
Usually these disorders affect men and women in their middle ages and they have been for centuries. In 1981, Colin Sullivan and his associates described the continuous positive airway pressure. This transformed the management of obstructive sleep apnea. Since then, the desire to seek out and treat individuals with these disorders has resulted in hundreds of sleep disorder clinics worldwide.
Obstructive; central; and complex or mixed are the three kinds of this apnea. Obstructive is when breathing is interrupted by a physical block to their airflow despite respiratory effort. Snoring often accompanies this form. Central is when there is a lack of respiratory effort that interrupts the normal breathing cycle. Many individuals who suffer from these disorders are unaware of it.
The effects of these disorders can impact the cognition of a person. Common symptoms and effects: slowed reaction time, problems with vision, trouble processing information and daytime fatigue. Some effects on the behavior include moodiness, aggressiveness and decreased motivation. Many of these reactions can negatively impact work, especially in occupations where machine operating and manual labor are required.
Diagnosis guidelines for these disorders may be variegated. Because of this, many physicians perform several studies and exams before finalizing a diagnosis. In some cases, evaluation of clinical symptoms and results from a test will suffice. Oximetry may be done in place of a polysomnogram. The oximetry is done at the home of an individual and is sometimes a preferred alternative.
OSA is the most common form of sleep-disordered breathing. The risk for this disorder increases with age, smoking, diabetes and increased body weight. Common symptoms: daytime tiredness, restlessness and snoring. During CSA, the respiratory control systems of the brain are not balanced. A person struggling with this will stop breathing and start up again. Mixed and complex apnea is a combination of central and obstructive disorders. Often, when OSA is severe or constant, CSA develops.
Treatment often begins with behavioral therapy. Mild cases may only requite subtle changes in lifestyle such as avoiding sleeping pills and alcohol and resting on the side of the body. The Pillar Procedure may also be utilized. The continuous positive airway pressure, CPAP, or automatic positive airway pressure, APAP, is commonly used in moderate-to-severe cases. A custom mouthpiece that shifts the jaw and opens the airway is used in oral appliance therapy. Surgery is said to be the most effective treatment with its 95 percent cure rate. Maxillomandibular advancement is the most common and effective of surgery for this problem.
Alternative methods for treatment: oropharyngeal exercises and playing the didgeridoo. The didgeridoo is a wind instrument that has been linked to reducing sleepiness, snoring and sleep disorders in patients. By strengthening the airway muscles, this instrument reduces the chances of those muscles collapsing while asleep.
Usually these disorders affect men and women in their middle ages and they have been for centuries. In 1981, Colin Sullivan and his associates described the continuous positive airway pressure. This transformed the management of obstructive sleep apnea. Since then, the desire to seek out and treat individuals with these disorders has resulted in hundreds of sleep disorder clinics worldwide.
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