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Sleep Apnea. John Paquet III BME 281 S01 02 October 2013. What Exactly is Sleep Apnea?. Apnea (“want of breath”) = a pause in breathing Narrower throat area When muscles in upper throat relax during sleep, airway becomes blocked
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Sleep Apnea John Paquet III BME 281 S01 02 October 2013
What Exactly is Sleep Apnea? • Apnea (“want of breath”) = a pause in breathing • Narrower throat area • When muscles in upper throat relax during sleep, airway becomes blocked • Results in repeating pattern of heavy snoring, a silent period, and a gasp
Types of Sleep Apnea • Obstructive Sleep Apnea • Most common kind of sleep-disordered breathing • Central Sleep Apnea • Imbalance of respiratory control centers in brain during sleep • Controls fail to give signal to inhale, resulting in missed cycles of breathing • Complex/Mixed Sleep Apnea • Combination of obstructive and central
Facts • Each apnea can last from 10 seconds to minutes • 5 to 30 or more apneas per hour • Affects around 18 million people in US, many of whom are unaware that they have the condition
Causes • Obesity • Large neck • Large tongue • Short lower jaw in comparison with upper jaw
Symptoms and Potential Risks • Irritability and impatience • Forgetfulness • Drowsiness • Headaches • Increased risk of: • High blood pressure • Heart disease • Stroke
CPAP • Continuous Positive Airway Pressure • Small machine delivers stream of pressurized air through tube to mask • Traditional CPAP machines require patient to input desired pressure (determined from a sleep study) • APAP automatically changes air pressure as necessary to minimize number of apneas • Can even warm/humidify air and monitor breathing
CPAP (Continued) • Advantages: • Better mood, better memory, higher alertness during day, increased productivity, regular sleep patterns • Disadvantages: • Eye irritation, nasal congestion, dry or sore mouth • These can typically be remedied by humidification, keeping CPAP equipment clean, and choosing the right mask
Oral Devices and Surgery • Mandibular advancement splint • Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP or UP3) • Removes excess tissue at back of throat • Base-of-tongue advancement • Maxillomandibular advancement
Discussion • CPAP machines are far less expensive than surgery • Even if apnea is cured, surgical procedures pose potential risk of creating complications (i.e. via infection, nerve damage-TMD) • Dental appliances can be around the same cost or even cheaper than CPAP, but are less effective and only treat mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea • CPAP is most common, effective, non-invasive treatment for patients with moderate to severe sleep apnea
References • "Nasal CPAP." Medline Plus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001916.htm>. • "Obstructive Sleep Apnea." Medline Plus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000811.htm>. • "Sleep Apnea." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_apnea>. • "Sleep Apnea Facts." YourLungHealth.org - Sleep Apnea Facts. American Association for Respiratory Care, n.d. Web. <http://www.yourlunghealth.org/lung_disease/sleep_apnea/facts/>.