Patients Overview Sleep Apnea
Sleep Disorders // Sleep Apnea // Children and Sleep

Should You be Concerned About Snoring?

If you have snoring problems, you are not alone. Snoring is literally heard all over the world and occurs in all age groups, in both genders. Snoring usually is a natural part of sleep, but it may also be a symptom of a potentially lethal condition known as obstructive sleep apnea (referred to as OSA or sleep apnea). Untreated sleep apnea is associated with stress, irritability, increased risk of industrial accidents, traffic accidents, hypertension, cardiovascular strain and other factors that can contribute to disablement or death.

What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?

Medical professionals and insurance carriers recognize Obstructive Sleep Apnea as a life-threatening condition requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. Typically, snoring is no more than an inconvenience and is not life-threatening. However, it can be a prime symptom of a potentially lethal condition known as sleep apnea — a condition in which the air passage in the throat becomes blocked.

For a person with sleep apnea, breathing stops from 10 to 60 seconds at a time, and these attacks can occur up to 120 times an hour during sleep. As a result, oxygen levels in the bloodstream fall, which in turn may lead to high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and/or abnormal heart rhythms. It is estimated that as many as 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, yet up to 95% of these cases go undiagnosed and untreated. Although it is most common in overweight men, both adults and children of either gender can be affected.

Signs to look for in a person with sleep apnea include: loud, irregular snoring; daytime sleepiness; morning headaches; weight gain; frequent nocturnal urination; obesity; hypertension; falling asleep while driving; loss of energy; anxiety or depression. The childhood form of obstructive sleep apnea is particularly difficult to diagnose since the symptoms may be very subtle and differ considerably from those evident in adults. Fortunately, there are treatments for sleep apnea which range from the use of drugs, to oxygen ventilation therapy, to surgery in certain cases.
 
Are There Any Risk Factors?

In untreated sleep apnea, breathing stops from 10 to 60 seconds at a time, and these attacks can occur up to 120 times an hour during sleep. As a result, decreased levels of oxygen in the blood may cause high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and abnormal heart rhythms. The National Commission on Sleep Disorders attributes 38,000 cardiovascular deaths a year to sleep apnea.
 
Some of the symptoms or risk factors of sleep apnea are:

Loud, irregular snoring
Daytime sleepiness
Morning headaches
Weight gain
Frequent nocturnal urination
Obesity
Hypertension
Falling asleep while driving
Loss of energy
Anxiety or depression
How Can You Be Tested?

Diagnosis and Treatment

If you are concerned about how you sleep, your family doctor can conduct SSA's Preliminary Sleep Evaluation right in his or her office. The results of this evaluation will be tabulated and interpreted by SSA and a preliminary recommendation will be sent to your physician. Your primary care physician is included in every stage of the process, validating all recommendations and therapies. If a sleep study is indicated, SSA will schedule a visit for you at one of our sleep labs.

What Can You Expect?  

The test for sleep apnea is performed in our sleep laboratory where you will spend a night in a private room. SSA sleep labs offer comfortable rooms designed to simulate a home bedroom environment. A highly-trained SSA technician will attach special sensors to you which will record activity related to sleep. These sensors are painlessly applied to your skin. As you sleep, data is monitored in a separate room by the technician through SSA's polysomnographic computer system. Your test are reviewed and interpreted by trained specialists in sleep medicine.

Is There a Cure for Sleep Apnea?

Once diagnosed, sleep apnea can be successfully treated. There are a number of proven sleep apnea therapies available. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the most common treatment for sleep apnea. CPAP machines are small bedside devices that provide a gentle stream of air through a face mask to keep the upper airway open during sleep. Comfortable and non-intrusive, CPAP therapy provides welcome relief from sleep apnea without disruptive changes to your normal routine. SSA provides individual follow-up and special care for patients placed on CPAP. 73% of SSA patients follow their physician's directions. This means that SSA's patient service approach to CPAP management will help you better manage your sleep apnea.

Dental appliances and breathing masks are other treatment options your physician might consider. Occasionally, surgery is needed. Whichever approach is most appropriate, Sleep Services of America will work with your primary care physician to ensure that the best care is recommended and provided.

For more information about other sleep disorders, please click here.