Sleep Apnea - the Silent Killer
Breathing is such a natural, automatic thing. You usually aren’t even consciously paying attention to doing it. Imagine if all of the sudden you just stopped breathing and found yourself unable to take a breath for 10 seconds. Now imagine this happening dozens of times per hour. If you were awake it would be terrifying. People who suffer sleep apnea can have this happen during their sleep without even being aware of it. This can result in a sudden heart related death as the improper levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood cause the nervous system to go haywire. It is estimated that one in four adults suffer some form of this disorder.
If you’re asleep, how can you even know if you suffer from sleep apnea? Some signs are more obvious including resltess sleeping and loud snoring and gasping. Others are more cryptic such as headaches upon waking, moodiness, forgetfulness and heavy sweating at night. Sleep apnea comes in two categories: central and obstructive. In central sleep apnea the brain mysteriously stops sending the signal to breathe during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is far more common. Illnesses, obesity, alcohol or drugs can often cause obstructive sleep apnea.
In the worst cases of sleep apnea a face mask is worn in order to prevent the air from becoming blocked and stimulate its flow. Continuous positive airway pressure using these masks is the most effective form of treatment for obstructive problems. Medication is rarely successful in curing the condition. Other methods including electrical stimulation using pacemaker type devices are being studied in the hopes of finding additional treatment paths.
The important thing to remember of course is to see a doctor if you have any concerns at all about your sleep. They can refer you to a sleep specialist and in the case of sleep apnea an effective solution can almost always be found. Sleep apnea is a progressive illness and over time it can get much worse. Because of the potential risk of dying in your sleep this is a condition that should be taken care of as soon as possible.
Even though most people would prefer to die in their sleep, few would feel comfortable knowing that they could have prevented it. Sleep apnea is a silent killer, and even when it doesn’t kill it can affect the quality of your life. Everyone deserves a good night’s rest, be safe and see a doctor if you feel your sleep might be compromised. You’re life may depend on it.
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Posted: January 31st, 2007 under Sleep Disorders, Sleep.
Comments: 10
Comments
Comment from Y Heimann
Time: February 11, 2007, 3:30 am
My husband has I think the worst case I’ve ever read about.
He will not acknowledge the side effects I have observed.
Could someone email the worst of the worst cases known.
He falls asleep while talking to someone, he disoriented, litteraly sound drunk, cognitive ability as if he was totally druged. Talks like he has marbles in his mouth.
Comment from Anderson Brown
Time: February 26, 2007, 2:55 pm
Was just wondering if anyone else finds that when they sleep longer they wake up feeling terrible.On Sunday night i must of slept for about 12 hours and woke up feeling dizzy,headachs,very tired and felt very groggy but last night i slept 5-6 and woke up feeling fairly good it’s not the first time i have noticed it and was wondering if anyone else has. Iv resulted to buying a new memory foam mattress custom built for my ikea bed from www.sleepdetox.co.uk
Comment from jean cowan
Time: March 17, 2007, 9:13 pm
My family doctor said no one has ever died in his sleep from sleep apnea, is this true? That is human nature to catch your breath. Jean
Comment from Lillian S Walsh
Time: March 23, 2007, 5:02 pm
Great site very informative, its a fasinating subject.
I have a sleep blog you might like to take a look at.
Comment from Lila
Time: March 24, 2007, 7:21 pm
I am not sure I have sleep apnea. I did suffer from Insomnia for 8 years. And I find I always wake up feeling exhausted every morning even when I get my 8-9hours of sleep, and I also almost always have a headach first thing in the morning. I have a hard time remembering things because I feel tired all the time and am wondering if I might have sleep apnea. I have on a few occasions woken up having to catch my breath and I almost always have night sweats. But my doctor just says it’s because of stress, but I think its more. What should I do?
Comment from HEATHER S.
Time: March 29, 2007, 8:17 am
My Mom just found out she has sleep apnia, apparently shes had it for a long time. Her specialist said its the worst case hes ever seen. On average people with this disorder stop breathing 40-80 times a night…my moms tests revealed she stops breathing an average of 400 times per night!!!!!!! Shes been to several sleep clinics and seen two specialist, none of which can find a solution for her. You see, my mom can’t wear the oxygen mask. She tried the mask and the nose plug tubes and failed with both. Her doctor told her this is going to be fatal for her if she can’t use the oxygen mask. She has given up trying. Does anyone know of any other methods of treatment for this disorder?? Please share your knowledge to help my mother.
Comment from Jeannie
Time: May 13, 2007, 1:47 pm
Sleep apnea sounds scary but are there any records of anyone dying in their sleep? I thought too, that it is automatic to wake up.
Comment from Michael M. Modern
Time: May 18, 2007, 12:42 pm
CPAP nanal mask wearers: check as you go to bed that at least one nostril is open. If not, instill water up the nose in the shower or instill over-the-counter saline spray up the nose and blow until clear. Vicks Vaporub under the nose is also effective. Even if you are clear, each night wear an elastic chin strap under the nasal mask to keep your mouth closed because breathing through the mouth cancels out any the benefits of the nasal mask. Both latex and non-latex chin strap versions are available from your CPAP supplier, such as ResMed.
Comment from Stuart Cripps
Time: June 13, 2007, 4:19 pm
Generally i have found any problems sleeping are remedied by buying a decent memory foam mattress. I bought one from http://www.snugmattress.co.uk and found it to make a huge difference when sleeping.
Comment from Derek Gill
Time: June 14, 2007, 3:24 am
Thought you might find it interesting that although several studies have shown a link between sleep apnea and an increased risk of some cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke and in one study it was found that the presence of sleep apnea could double the risk of having a stroke.
One question though is whether each can cause the other. For example, while it is generally accepted that sleep apnea can produce cardiovascular problems, it is not so clear whether or not cardiovascular problems can produce sleep apnea.
This question was asked again recently when researchers discovered that a number of patients who had been fitted with pacemakers were subsequently found to be suffering from sleep apnea.
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