Obstructive Sleep Apnea 101
Disease Overview
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), is due to some attributable to upper airway obstruction, sleep apnea from time to time, accompanied by hypoxia, snoring, daytime sleepiness and other symptoms of a more complex disease. Occur in the obese, the elderly. Any parts of the upper respiratory tract obstructive lesions can cause OSAS.
OSAS showed snoring loudness is greater than 60dB, prevent those who sleep in the same room of people, and with sleep apnea, apnea index greater than 5; Night-time low oxygen saturation measured values, during the sleep apnea, the forced breathing movements of chest and abdomen can be seen. In the suffocating nature of the end of the outbreak can be heard a snoring sound, and exhaled a long-winded, and fiberoptic endoscopy and CT, Polysomnography and other auxiliary examination can help diagnose.
Symptoms and signs
More common 40-60 years of age, overweight men, more common in the elderly. Clinical features is loud snoring, short-term asthma and lasted 10 seconds or more of apnea alternating. Nose and mouth breath stoped, but chest and abdominal breathing still exist. Apnea produced a sense of suffocation and accompanying physical activity can be awakened suddenly appeared to fall asleep again after a few breathing. Frequently stand up during sleep or physical movement. Sometimes, suddenly sat up, mouth mutter prayers, suddenly stiff neck while sleeping. During the day time, feeling tired, sleepy, no spirit, early morning headaches, retardation, as well as memory, attention, common sense and vigilance power drops. , There may be depression, anxiety, irritability, dry mouth, loss of libido and high blood pressure.
Disease etiology
Nasopharyngeal throat abnormalities lead to narrowing of the upper respiratory tract is the main reason of airway obstruction during sleep .
Diagnostic
Polysomnography is the gold standard for diagnosis of this disease. In the night of 7 hours sleep, recurrent apnea for more than 30 times, each time for more than 10 seconds, or apnea-hypopnea index (AHI; refers to the average length of the whole night of sleep apnea and hypopnea per hour, the total number) more than 5 times . Hypopnea refers to more than 50% reduction in respiratory airflow for more than 10 seconds. Sleep apnea common in 1,2 non-REM stages, rare 3,4 stages, most common in REM sleep. Non- REM 3,4 sleep stages shortened, with an average sleep latency often within 10 minutes.
Treatment
Available non-surgical therapy, such as weight loss, side sleep, avoiding alcohol and sedatives before going to bed and so on. Now commonly used and effective therapy is nasal continuous positive airway pressure airway ventilation, sleep wear a face mask and breathing machine connected from the ventilator resulting increase in upper airway pressure on forced air, both in inspiratory or expiratory able to maintain a constant state of pressure, so that the upper airway is kept open to avoid the collapse or obstruction. You can also use different types of oral appliance, put the mandible or tongue forward at the top, Increase in pharyngeal cross-sectional area to increase the breathing gas flow rate.