By Dr. Gerard Santos,
Medical Director,
Bon Secours Sleep Disorder Centers
Hold your breath!
How long you can and why you shouldn't do it in bed
 The importance of a good night sleep is gaining interest and not only with the medical community. Cardiologists, internists, endocrinologists, and even dentists have gradually become more aware of the impact of sleep deprivation on their patients overall health. As we work on becoming a healthier generation we're recognizing the importance of resting our bodies and minds. From commercials, to blogs, to infomercials, his & her sleep number beds and gadgets sleep is hot! Google "sleep disorders"…an amazing 57 million results!
The most common and more serious sleep disorders include; obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea (CSA), insomnia, restless leg syndrome (RLS), and narcolepsy but there are 79 other types of sleep disorders. For this article and due to its higher prevalence and health risks, let's spotlight OSA.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a fairly common disorder and affects more than 18 million Americans according to the National Sleep Foundation. The Greek word "Apnea" means "without breath."
Apneic events may be heard by a spouse as snoring or snorting but is often silent in central sleep apnea. These events can occur hundreds of times per night and can last up to a minute! OSA is caused by an obstruction in the upper airway.
As we age, our muscle tone, yes even in our airway, may not be what it once was. Relaxed airway muscles can be one cause. Other and contributing culprits are enlarged tonsils, adenoids, or uvula (that dangly thing in the back of your throat) and those extra pounds we may carry around. All of this extra tissue creates a smaller airway.
Sleep is how your body rests, restores, and heals itself. While sleeping people cycle through stages of sleep; rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM. This is initiated by one's natural brain activity.
You may have heard these and other terms such as delta sleep. For those suffering from a sleep disorder, this natural cycle is disrupted time and again each and every night.
 The airway becomes obstructed . . .
The airway becomes obstructed, the body (brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver) is deprived of oxygen, heart rate increases, the brain wakes the person enough to take a breath, but often they aren't aware of these events because they are not fully awake. Each of these major organs is deprived of much needed oxygen, rest and recovery and over time can begin to fail.
Sleep apnea has been associated with diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure. There is correlation between OSA and weight gain. On the flip side, overweight patients with OSA can expect improvement of symptoms with weight loss.
Even more interesting is that treating a sleep disorder will significantly amplify weight loss efforts. It's all about hormones and energy.
Recently, Dr. Gerard Santos, Medical Director at Bon Secours Sleep Disorder Centers spoke to about 75 attendees at the Innsbrook Wellness Forum held last month in Innsbrook.
He explained the workings of hormones such as leptin and ghrelin, how they influence our appetite and how if unrested, we may experience a bottomless pit feeling. What a vicious cycle.
How serious is it? Unfortunately severe OSA left unaddressed can be deadly. Untreated, sleep apnea increases risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, diabetes and due to the sleep deprivation it causes, motor vehicle accidents (more than 100,000 annually).
Prevalence of sleep apnea is greater in males, those over 40, and overweight individuals but do not be misled if you are experiencing symptoms and are female at an ideal body weight. Young and healthy women, even children have been diagnosed with OSA. A sleep specialist will confirm that athletes and others with regular exercise routines can also be at risk.
Diagnosis and treatment are important steps in addressing this disorder. If you are experiencing signs or symptoms such as snoring, gasping, morning headaches, dry mouth, sore throat, high blood pressure, are overweight, and/or do not feel refreshed after a full night's sleep, you should consult your primary doctor or schedule an appointment with a board certified sleep medicine specialist. There are several sleep centers in the Richmond area accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
During evaluation in the sleep center, the doctor will gather information by visual exam of your upper airway or head and neck as well as through a series of questions. The visit will center on gauging your sleepiness, evaluating risk factors and indicators as well as ruling out behavioral or other medical reasons you may be experiencing symptoms. It is important to note that sleep apnea is not always the cause of poor quality sleep.
No need for pajama's yet . . .
No need for pajama's…yet. If there is cause for concern about a sleep disorder, and after discussion about treatment options, you may be scheduled for a sleep study for diagnosis. Bring on the PJ's!
Treatment options for sleep disorders include medication, CPAP, surgery, sleep positioning, and oral devices. The treatment will depend on the type and severity of the disorder as well as what will work best for the individual.
If you are concerned but not enough to do anything about it, consider your bedmate. He or she may be suffering from second hand snoring.
Dr. Santos is partnering with Dr. Vikas Rathi, Director of Cardiovascular MRI at Bon Secours for a series of community education events. Please feel free to join and take advantage of the Q&A.
To register or for more information please call or email at bsr-sleeplab@bshsi.org or 804/698- 0615.
Informational resources and self-screening tools are available at the following websites. If you are interested in seeing a sleep specialist for evaluation, Bon Secours has 3 locations in the Richmond and surrounding areas. Please call or email bsr-sleeplab@bshsi.org or 595-1430.
Yoursleep.aasmnet.org | Sleepapnea.org | Nhlbi.nih.gov
bonsecours.com/our-services-sleep-disorders-centers
Top
|
