Sleep apnea is an extremely common yet overlooked disorder affecting one’s health and its quality. It will affect a person, irregularly stopping or starting their breathing during sleep, disturbing their sleep, and causing an insufficient oxygen supply to the body. There are probably too many different people with this disorder, and sometimes they may not even realize it, but untreated sleep apnea can pave the road for conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Hence, it is extremely important for a person to know its symptoms, diagnosis, and sleep apnea treatment methods in order to help an individual or family to seek timely assistance. In this article, we will discuss the same in detail.
What are the Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
Sleep Apnea is a difficult disease to detect, but symptoms occur when a person is asleep. Some obvious symptoms are as follows:
- Loud Snoring: Most audible and disturbing, especially when it goes on unabated.
- Pauses in Breathing: Usually noticed by the bed partner.
- Choking or Gasping: Choking during the night might lead to sudden awakening due to lack of breath.
- Daytime Exhaustion: A constant feeling of being tired or drowsy despite adequate sleep.
- Morning Headaches and Irritability: This might also be caused by poor oxygen flow and fragmented sleep.
- Difficulty Concentrating: This might occur due to a lack of restorative sleep.
When these things keep happening, it could be an indicator that it may be time for a person to get a diagnosis for sleep apnea.
How is sleep apnea diagnosed?
Since the diagnosis of sleep apnea is based on observing one’s sleep, breathing rate, and oxygen level, the methods in practice are as follows:
- Sleep study: Done at a sleep center, brain activity, oxygen levels, heartbeats, breathing, and bodily movement are all monitored at this overnight study during the period of sleep.
- Home Sleep Test (HST): Simplified and less invasive method, records breathing and oxygen levels for an individual at his or her home while sleeping.
According to the sleep apnea test near me results obtained, the diagnosis is then grouped as OSA, CSA, or a mixture of both.
What are the treatment options for Sleep Apnea?
The treatment is decided upon by the diagnosis and type of sleep apnea, but in general, it includes:
- Lifestyle changes: Weight loss, avoiding alcohol, sedatives, quitting smoking, and sleeping on one’s side help manage mild conditions.
- Positive Airway Pressure (PAP): Air is exerted at a constant pressure through a facemask to keep the airways open during sleep.
- Oral Appliances that might be required to reposition the jaw or the neck of the patient to keep the airways open during sleep.
- Surgery: In the cases of severe sleep apnea, sleep apnea surgery might be required to provide relief to the patient by removing excess throat tissue, repositioning the jaw, or even putting in some implants for the same.
If you are on a search for the best pulmonology hospital in Mohali or the best sleep apnea treatment in Mohali, Sohana Hospital might just be the perfect choice for you. Sohana Hospital is equipped with cutting-edge technology and the region’s best Sleep specialists, who provide the most comprehensive care for all pulmonary conditions of the patients in the region. Book your appointment today!