It is common for occasional snoring to occur when sleeping in certain positions due to incorrect air circulation in the respiratory tract. However, if snoring gets worse and prevents you from resting, it is important to consult a doctor, as it could be sleep apnea, a disorder that affects between 2 and 5% of the adult population.
Sleep apnea is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, frequent snoring, and episodes in which breathing stops temporarily, known as apneas. These episodes reduce the level of oxygen in the blood and cause brief awakenings that cause unrefreshing sleep.
During apneas, patients also have asphyxiations
Other warning signs are an increased need to urinate at night, morning headache, and high blood pressure. Dr. Josep Maria Montserrat, pulmonologist at Hospital Clínic Barcelona, points out that “another very important symptom during apneas is that patients also have asphyxia.” The typical cycle of sleep apnea includes: sleep, apnea episode, changes in the concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, transient awakening, and end of the apnea episode. During this cycle, arrhythmias are frequent.
In Spain, sleep apnea affects around two million people, but less than 10% receive adequate diagnosis and treatment. The consequences can be very serious, since neurocognitive, cardiorespiratory, inflammatory and metabolic disorders can develop. Studies in which the Hospital Clínic Barcelona has participated show that sleep-related breathing disorders can increase the risk of developing tumors and mortality from cancer. This is due to the inadequate oxygen supply characteristic of sleep apnea, which is associated with accelerated cancer progression. Therefore, timely diagnosis and treatment are essential for the health of those who have it.
Signs that could indicate sleep apnea are a short and wide neck, a tongue disproportionate to the size of the mouth, hypertrophy of the tonsils, abnormalities in the palate, skeletal alterations or jaw disproportion. Additionally, sufferers of this condition often present with airway problems, such as nasal valve dysfunction, nasal septal deviations or turbinate hypertrophy, sinonasal polyposis, or adenoid hypertrophy.
Several factors can contribute to the development of this disorder. Obesity is one of the main ones, as it increases the accumulation of fat in the neck and at the base of the tongue, reducing the ability of the pharynx to contract. Also, alcohol consumption, which intensifies snoring, increases resistance in the pharynx and reduces the threshold for waking up during apnea. Tobacco also acts as an irritant.
Other factors that can trigger apnea are drugs such as morphine or anxiolytics, as well as anatomical and hormonal factors such as hypothyroidism, and neurological and respiratory diseases. It should be noted that the risk increases with age, and is two or three times more common in men than in women.
Anyone who snores and has apnea or drowsiness during the day should consult their primary care doctor and know that treating this disorder will improve their quality of life and their night’s rest.
The initial treatment for patients with non-severe sleep apnea usually consists of hygienic-dietary and postural measures. These include sleeping eight hours and maintaining a regular schedule, avoiding alcohol and tobacco, engaging in regular physical exercise, stopping medications that may contribute to apnea, and treating any nasal obstruction. Intraoral devices may also be used, such as splints that move the jaw forward to increase space and prevent the jaw and tongue from sliding backward.
For patients with more severe apneas, treatment with continuous positive airway pressure, known as CPAP, is recommended. It is a device that supplies a flow of air through a tube connected to a nasal or naso-buccal mask. This flow prevents the collapse of the pharynx during sleep, preventing apneas and normalizing the sleep structure. Dr. Cristina Embid, pulmonologist at Hospital Clínic Barcelona, highlights the effectiveness of the treatment: “Any person who snores and has apnea or drowsiness during the day should consult their primary care doctor, and know that the treatment of this disorder will improve.” their quality of life and their night’s rest.”
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