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Sleep Apnea

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What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea can be defined as a pause in breathing lasting more than 10 seconds during sleep. During each episode of pause in breathing, the brain of the sleeping person wakes up momentarily to allow breathing to resume. These awakenings, if they are frequent, lead to a fragmented and very poor quality of sleep, even if the person is not aware of it. If left untreated, it can lead to major health problems.

Causes :

Causes:

Shape of the face and neck: broad neck, retrusive or fleeing chin, narrow face
Upper respiratory tract size
Narrow pharynx – long palate
Size of adenoids and tonsils
Nasal obstruction / mouth breathing
Age
Sex (men are more at risk)
Overweight
Respiratory allergies
Consumption of alcohol and / or medication
Smoking
If you are affected by the following medical conditions; You also have an increased risk of sleep apnea :
- Hypertension (high pressure)
- Angina and arrhythmia
- Depression
- Myocardial infarction
- Atrial fibrillation (heart rhythm disorder)
- Paralysis
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- Hypothyroidism

Symptoms:

Snoring
Drowsiness
Insomnia
Choking with wakefulness during sleep
Waking with dry mouth or sore throat
Morning headache
Loss of memory
Depression

Diagnostic:

Sleep apnea is diagnosed from a specialized test called polysomnography or sleep study. This test confirms the diagnosis of a sleep disorder, recognizes an associated pathology and guides the therapeutic decision. This is done in the sleep laboratory. It consists of recording different parameters during sleep. You have to sleep with several electrodes or sensors attached to different places on the body. Thereafter, all the data collected are compiled, processed by software, analyzed by a sleep technologist and reviewed by a sleep specialist to establish the diagnosis.

Treatments:

PPC

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). PPC means that air is pushed by continuous positive airway pressure to keep them open.

Oral appliances

After a consultation visit with the surgeon, he may prescribe a dental device specially designed to relieve your moderate symptoms of sleep apnea. This device is molded to your teeth and is used during your sleep. It serves to keep your tongue and jaw in an advanced position, which prevents them from going backwards and blocking your airways.

Surgical Approach

In many cases, sleep apnea can be corrected by surgery.

Here are some examples; Orthognathic surgery, uvulo-palato-pharyngo-plastie, tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, radiofrequency treatment, laser surgery.

Advice and prevention

Stop smoking
Maintaining a healthy weight
Consume alcohol and caffeine in moderation and avoid taking sleeping pills or muscle relaxants
Treating nasal congestion and allergies vigorously
Adopt a regular sleep schedule
Sleep on the side