Sleep Apnea Syndrome refers to transient cessation of respiration during sleep. There is a sleep test, called polysomnography that is usually done to diagnose sleep apnea. Polysomnography is a study of sleep cycles and behavior, usually done all night long in a sleep center, which involves observing a person at sleep while continuously charting brain waves, muscle activity, breathing, eye movements, and heart rhythms.
There are two kinds of polysomnograms:
? Overnight polysomnography test: It involves monitoring brain waves, muscle tension, eye movement, respiration, oxygen level in the blood and audio monitoring. (for snoring, gasping, etc.) ? Home monitoring test: A Sleep Technologist hooks the patient up to all the electrodes and instructs him on how to record his sleep with a computerized polysomnograph that he takes home and returns in the morning. These are painless tests that are usually covered by insurance. Another option in home monitoring test is home-based sleep disorder test. These is inexpensive and easy to use kits.
Polysomnography tracks a variety of processes in the body.
? Special sensors placed on the head show brain wave patterns which can be used to determine what stages of sleep or wakefulness a person is in. ? Electrodes are used to track muscular movement or tension. ? Breathing monitors on the nose, mouth, or chest can tell when breathing stops, airflow is low, or oxygen levels change. ? Heart rate and rhythms are also continuously monitored. ? Blood oxygen level & blood pressure is ceaselessly.
This study allows doctors to track the different stages of sleep, called nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and REM, rapid eye movement sleep, which is associated with dreaming. The test can track other characteristics of your sleep, such as the number of times you awaken. It can also evaluate any abnormal sleeping behaviors, such as sleepwalking, nightmares, or periodic limb movement disorder. In addition, the study can evaluate various other sleeping disorders which include trouble falling or staying asleep (insomnia), breathing that stops during sleep (apnea), or a problem with falling asleep suddenly during the day (narcolepsy).
Testing procedure: In usual Sleep testing protocols, the patient arrives in the evening and is given time to become comfortable in a room where he sleeps alone. A technologist attaches electrodes to his head, legs, and chest. Signals from these sensors travel through wires to a computer where they show what stages of sleep or wakefulness he in. Other monitors are placed around the chest, near the nose and mouth, and on finger.
The patient will be able to read or relax until bedtime. Although he will be able to move and turn over during sleep, the technologist may ask the patient to try sleeping in a certain position for a part of the night.
The Greek word “apnea” means “without breath.”Sleep apnea is characterized by repeated breathing stoppages during sleep, sometimes hundreds of times per night and often for as long as a minute.When breathing resumes it can be associated with explosive snores.There are three different types of sleep apnea:
1.Obstructive is the most common.It is caused by a physical blockage of the airway, usually because the soft tissue at the rear of the throat has settled and closes off the throat to air.
2.In Central sleep apnea, there is no physical blockage, but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breath.
3.Mixed apnea, as you might guess, is a combination of the two.
In all three types, the brain awakens the body enough to start breathing again.But the quality of sleep suffers.You may be partially awakened in this manner hundreds of times in a night, making it impossible to fall into the needed deep sleep stages.You’re often snoring all night long.Because of this, sleep apnea is often blamed for lack of energy and attentiveness at the job and for traffic accidents.
But left untreated, sleep apnea has even worse affects.It can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease.It causes memory problems, weight gain, headaches and impotency.This is nothing to take lightly.If you notice sleep apnea in yourself or a family member, seek medical advice at once.
Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated.Unfortunately the medical profession has pretty much ignored sleep apnea for a long time, and this is still the case.It’s very common, and is suspected to affect more than 12 million Americans.It hits males more than females, mostly over age 40, and overweight.However, it can strike anyone of any age.The vast majority of sufferers remain undiagnosed today.
If you think you or a loved one may suffer from sleep apnea, please talk to your doctor. It could lead to serious health issues.
Both Tarun Gupta & Kim Brockman are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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