Daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, and restless sleep are all symptoms of the common sleep disorder known as sleep apnea, which causes an individual’s breathing to stop and start repeatedly while they are asleep.
There are several different types of sleep apnea, but the most common is obstructive sleep apnea, which causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start while you sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that happens when the muscles in your throat periodically relax and block your airway.
Menopausal and postmenopausal women are more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea than other adults, with 1 in 5 having mild symptoms and 1 in 15 having moderate-to-severe symptoms.
All ages, including children, can be affected by sleep apnea, though people over 50 are more likely to have it than younger people.
SYMPTOMS
Obstructive sleep apnea symptoms and signs include:
· Excessive daytime sleepiness
· Loud snoring
Seen instances of sleep-related breathing cessation
Sudden awakening with choking or gasping
Having a sore throat or dry mouth when you wake up
· Morning headache
Daytime attentional difficulties
Feeling irritable or depressed, or experiencing mood changes
· High blood pressure
· Nightmare sweating
· Decreased libido
CAUSES
The back of the roof of the mouth, the soft palate, the triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate, the uvula, the tonsils, and the tongue are all supported by the muscles in the back of the throat, which become too relaxed to allow normal breathing.
A buildup of carbon dioxide and a reduction in blood oxygen levels may result from the muscles relaxing, which narrows or closes the airway as breath is taken in.
The brain detects the difficulty breathing and briefly awakens the body from sleep, usually for such a brief period that the person does not remember it.
He may make a snoring, choking, or gasping sound when he awakens, but the shortness of breath usually corrects itself within one or two deep breaths.
These interruptions make it difficult to enter the desired deep, restful sleep phases and make the person feel sleepy during waking hours. This pattern can repeat itself 5-30 times or more every hour, all night long.
RISK FACTORS
Obstructive sleep apnea can affect anyone, but there are some things that increase your risk, such as:
·Excess weight.Obstructive sleep apnea is usually, but not always, caused by obesity. Fat deposits around the upper airway may prevent breathing. Obesity-related illnesses like hypothyroidism and polycystic ovary syndrome may also contribute to the condition.
Obstructive sleep apnea can affect thin people as well, so it’s important to note that not everyone with the condition is overweight or vice versa.
·Narrowed airway.Your airway may be naturally narrow due to an inherited condition, or it may become blocked if your tonsils or adenoids enlarge.
·High blood pressure (hypertension).People with high blood pressure frequently have obstructive sleep apnea.
·Chronic nasal congestion.Regardless of the cause, those with persistent nasal congestion at night are twice as likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea, which may be related to constricted airways.
·Smoking.Obstructive sleep apnea is more prevalent in smokers.
·Diabetes.People with diabetes may experience obstructed sleep apnea more frequently.
- Sex.Obstructive sleep apnea is generally twice as common in men as it is in premenopausal women, and it is more common in women after menopause.
- A family history of sleep apnea.You may be more vulnerable if you have relatives who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.
- Asthma.Obstructive sleep apnea and asthma are related, according to research.
COMPLICATIONS
One or more of the following complications could result from obstructive sleep apnea:
·Daytime fatigue and sleepiness.Obstructive sleep apnea prevents a person from getting a normal, restorative night’s sleep because of frequent awakenings.
People who have obstructive sleep apnea frequently have extreme daytime drowsiness, fatigue, and irritability, as well as trouble concentrating and a tendency to nod off at work, in front of the TV, or even while driving. They may also be more likely to be involved in work-related accidents.
Obstructive sleep apnea in children and adolescents can affect academic performance and is frequently accompanied by attention or behavioral issues.
·Cardiovascular problems.Many people with obstructive sleep apnea develop high blood pressure (hypertension), which can increase the risk of heart disease. Sudden drops in blood oxygen levels that happen during obstructive sleep apnea increase blood pressure and strain the cardiovascular system.
The risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and coronary artery disease increases with the severity of obstructive sleep apnea.
If there is underlying heart disease, repeated multiple episodes of arrhythmias could result in sudden death. Obstructive sleep apnea increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), which can lower blood pressure.
- Complications with medications and surgery.Some medications, including sedatives, narcotic analgesics, and general anesthesia, relax your upper airway and may exacerbate your obstructive sleep apnea, making them a concern for those who have the condition.
People with obstructive sleep apnea may be more susceptible to complications after surgery, especially after being sedated and lying on your back, and may experience worse breathing problems if they undergo major surgery.
The presence of obstructive sleep apnea or symptoms associated with it should be disclosed to your surgeon prior to surgery; if you have any of these conditions, your doctor may perform a test for the condition.
- Eye problems.Eye complications from obstructive sleep apnea can typically be treated, but some research has linked the condition to some eye conditions, such as glaucoma.
- Sleep-deprived partners.Loud snoring can cause sleep deprivation in those around you, interfere with their ability to get a good night’s sleep, and even cause some partners to choose to sleep in a different room.
Obstructive sleep apnea sufferers may also experience nocturia, or the nighttime urge to urinate, memory issues, morning headaches, mood swings, or feelings of depression.
HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES
There are many effective medicines available in homoeopathy for treating obstructive sleep apnea, but the choice depends on the individuality of the patient, taking mental and emotional health into account. Homoeopathy is a rapidly expanding system that is practiced all over the world. Its strength lies in its evident effectiveness as it takes a holistic approach towards the sick individual by promoting inner balance at mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical levels.
AGRAPHIS NUTANS:Catarrhal conditions and obstruction of the nostrils. Throat and ear problems with a propensity to free discharge from mucous membranes. Sleep apnea caused by obstruction of the nostrils from enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Throat deafness.
AMMONIUM CARBONICUM:Stoppage of the nose at night with long-lasting coryza, inability to breathe through the nose, drowsiness during the day, beginning with sleep suffocation.
ASPIDOSPERMA:Known as the digitalis of the lungs, it removes temporary barriers to blood oxidation by enhancing carbonic acid oxidation and excretion through stimulation of respiratory centers.
GRINDELIA ROGUSTA:When falling asleep, the person experiences chest pressure and wheezing. When they wake up, they gasp for air and are unable to breathe while lying down.
LEMNA MINOR:Nasal polyps that are blocking the nostrils, swollen turbinates that are blocking the nostrils, a foul-smelling nose, a lot of crust and muco-purulent discharge coming from the nose, and snoring while you sleep.
OPIUMSnoring deeply, suffocating when dozing off, being drowsy but unable to fall asleep, and having stertorous breathing.
SAMBUCUS NIGRA:Child awakens suddenly, nearly suffocating, sits up, and turns blue. Child frequently wakes during sleep with a start with obstructed respiration. Obstruction of nose with accumulation of thick and viscid mucus in nostrils. Dry coryza in children. Sudden suffocation or strangulation upon falling asleep or waking him at midnight with violent sweat.
SANGUINARIA NITRICUM:Nasal polyps cause nasal obstruction, which is accompanied by profuse watery mucus and a burning pain in the nose, enlarged turbinates at the start of the hypertrophic process, dryness in the nose, and mucus plugs that are thick, yellow, and bloody.
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