Did you know that humans spend almost 30% of their lives sleeping? Most of us think of sleep as a restful period for our body to recuperate from the daily grind; but for same people abnormal breathing patterns, referred to as sleep-disordered breathing, can lead to sleep disturbances and serious health problems. Sleep apnea is a common sleep-related breathing disorder; and it, along with other sleep-related breathing disorders, is associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, pulmonary disease, thyroid disorders, obesity, and other medical conditions.
Sleep-disordered breathing includes a wide spectrum of disorders and typically involves some form of upper airway resistance such as snoring, upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS), or obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). Many individuals who suffer from sleep-disordered breathing do not have restful sleep and may stop breathing or have episodes of low oxygen during sleep. This can contribute to other medical problems and negatively impact quality of sleep, mental acuity, mood and relationships.
Sleep studies help identify and classify sleep-disordered breathing. Polysomnography is the best test for diagnosing sleep-disordered breathing. Under the direction of a trained sleep specialist, otolaryngologist, pulmonologist, or other specialist; many individuals can find help with their sleeping disorder. In children, the tonsils and adenoids tend to take up a lot of room in the back of the throat and removing them frequently cures sleep-disordered breathing. In adults, first-line treatment focuses on lifestyle modifications such as weight loss and limiting the use of alcohol and/or muscle relaxants. Weight loss can reduce the amount of fatty tissue around the upper airways. Alcohol and muscle relaxants relax the muscles of the neck and upper airways causing them to collapse and obstruct the airway.
Continuous positive airway pressure (aka CPAP) devices are commonly prescribed to treat obstructive sleep apnea or hypopnea. Oral appliances may also help sleep-disordered breathing by keeping the oral-pharyngeal pathway open. Surgical treatment should only be considered in individuals who have obvious anatomic abnormalities or have failed other more conservative measures.