If You Suspect Sleep Apnoea
Perhaps your partner has expressed concern at your snoring or other symptoms, or perhaps your doctor has suggested that you may be suffering from sleep apnoea. Either way, suspected sleep apnoea is not to be taken lightly. We’re talking about a disorder which can bring about some serious problems but which is vastly improved with some simple lifestyle changes.
of the thousands of sufferers in the UK, a great proportion is entirely unaware of their sleep apnoea. Normally the disorder affects people who are middle aged or older and who smoke or weigh more than they should. That said, it affects children, people of healthy weight and those who don’t smoke or drink too.
The condition means that breathing pauses whilst the suffer is asleep. In sleep apnoea sufferers these pauses last ten seconds or more. These pauses happen many times per hour. Whether breathing is interrupted or paused completely, the sufferer’s blood oxygen level is lowered and the heart rate increases in order to try and compensate and better transport oxygen around the blood. This is why sleep apnoea sufferers are prone to high blood pressure and will be more likely than the average person to develop a heart condition. Sleep apnoea sufferers are also more likely to have a stroke.
During these episodes the brain becomes aware that oxygen is not reaching the necessary places as efficiently as possible, or at all and steps in to ensure that breathing begins again. So the sufferer gasps, snores and snorts and will momentarily wake if necessary. This is the reason why so many sufferers snore loudly.
Few sleep apnoea sufferers are aware that they have been woken so many times through the night. But they normally feel the effects of having done so. It’s not uncommon for this interruption to the sleep to lead to tiredness, headaches, irritability and depression. Often these are simply exaggerated versions of the same symptoms we all feel when we are excessively tired. Sleep apnoea sufferers spend less time than is normal and needed in the deep and restorative phase of the sleep cycle and this is naturally going to impact upon their wellbeing.
If these symptoms sound familiar then you should seek the opinion of your doctor. Simple tests such as observing you as you sleep and monitoring your pulse and blood oxygen level can help to diagnose the problem. Remember too that despite the fact that we are talking about a serious disorder here, sleep apnoea responds very well to treatment and simple lifestyle changes are often al that is necessary. For instance, you may be advised to lose weight and avoid substances such as nicotine or alcohol before trying anything more serious.
