Sleep is essential to our bodies. Quality sleep relaxes and rejuvenates the mind and body. However, increasingly sedentary lifestyles and health problems affect sleep quality. You would agree that, nowadays, getting quality sleep is problematic. As such, a board-certified family nurse practitioner in Falls Church, VA, understands that and has you covered. The renowned practitioner attributes sleep apnea, which affects 25% of the male population and 10% of the female population, as the culprit to poor sleep. In this article, we intricately analyze sleep apnea, how it affects your health and how to effectively deal with it.
Table of Contents
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea is the intermittent collapse of the pharyngeal airway during sleep, which is portrayed as excessive snoring. Sleep apnea has both neurocognitive and cardiovascular effects. A less common type of sleep apnea, called central sleep apnea, causes unstable respiration where the brain cannot relay responses to the muscles.
Who Gets Sleep Apnea?
Like all other sleep disorders, sleep apnea can affect anyone; however, studies show it’s more prevalent among African Americans and Hispanics than white people. Age, gender, obesity, and heredity increase the risk of developing sleep apnea. Sleep apnea diagnosis involves a sleep evaluation, HST test, and AHI tests.
Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea remedies vary according to the severity of the disorder. Sleep apnea treatment takes both a conservative approach and a clinical one for severe cases. Unfortunately, you can’t detect sleep apnea on your own before getting tested. The following remedies should be used concurrently with a certified practitioner’s guidance.
Medication
There are several sleep disorders medications on the market. Doctors do not use medication as a primary approach to treating sleep apnea. Nasal anticoagulants unclog nasal congestion that might cause sleep apnea. Other drugs include modafinil, Valium, Ambien, and Nytol. It is imperative to consult with a health care provider before beginning on these medicines.
Declutter Your Bedroom
As subtle as it sounds, your bedroom is a haven for relaxation and rejuvenation. Being your center of mental peace, you deserve to keep it clean and odorless. Funky smells irritate the nose and cause snoring at night. Decluttering your bedroom twice a week and having a general cleaning routine on the weekends significantly reduces your chances of snoring and disturbing you and your partner’s sleep.
Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator
A hypoglossal nerve stimulator evokes the response a normal sleeping process would. The small device is implanted under the skin with minute electrodes connected to the intercostal muscles. You turn on the stimulator during sleep time, and the tongue moves forward, clearing the air pathway for a snore-free sleep.
Surgery
Severe cases of sleep apnea require surgery. Sleep apnea because of a deviated septum or an abnormally narrow throat necessitates surgery to correct these defects. Surgery procedures remove malformed tissue to clear the airways for optimal breathing. Somnoplasty, tonsillectomy, and nasal surgery are some of the effective techniques.
Palliative Care
Palliative care techniques relieve the burden of breathing on your nasal organs. The commonly used positive airway pressure devices are:
· CPAP
· Adaptive Servo-Ventilation
· Bi-level CPAP
Outlook
Sleep apnea affects your sleep quality as well as aggravating underlying medical conditions. However, you have access to cutting-edge technology at the Integrated Neurology Services center. Make use of innovative sleep apnea treatments by scheduling a visit.