Right now, and probably for the next year at least, we want to avoid hospital admissions if the tests we require can be done at home. While doctors diagnose and manage COVID-19 that doesn’t mean that you must not look after your general health, particularly if you suffer from diabetes or insulin resistance or any type of cardiovascular disease.
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Obstructive sleep apnea causes a person’s throat to close momentarily during sleep, due to an abnormality in pressure in the back of the throat. When this happens, the brain is alerted to wake up, often multiple times at night, to restart breathing. It also means a person may experience a drop in oxygen levels. And, both of these can have long-term consequences on your health.
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Obstructive sleep apnea is a momentary closing of a person’s throat, usually because of an abnormality in pressure in the back of the throat. The result is that a person’s brain is alerted to wake up, sometimes multiple times a night, to restart breathing. They may also experience a drop in oxygen levels, as the lack of breathing means the lungs have not received the oxygen-rich air they need. But, what consequences can that have in the short-term?
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Let’s start by understanding that, in general, sleep apnea refers to the halting of breathing during sleep. There are two types of sleep apnea. One is called central sleep apnea, which is caused by a malfunction in the brain, where it “forgets” to breathe. This type of apnea is very uncommon and happens without snoring, mostly in babies and the elderly. A more common type is obstructive sleep apnea – which means the back of the throat collapses in on itself while breathing in, usually due to an obstruction in the area.
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Many people snore (up to 40% of men over 40 years of age) but only a small proportion of those people have sleep apnea. While snoring indicates a partial blockage to air flow it is more of a problem for your sleeping partner! Sleep apnea, however, is a medical disorder that has significant consequences to your heart health and left untreated increases your risk of heart disease as well as diabetes.
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Dear Colleague I have been asked to share my process and contacts when managing patients with snoring and/ or mild OSA. …
Sleep Apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders with 25% of adults worldwide and 50% of cardiovascular disease patients …
Sleep Apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders with 25% of adults worldwide and 50% of cardiovascular disease patients …
Dr Bentley has been seeing patients with sleep problems, both adults and children, off and on over the last 30 years. She ran the first diagnostic sleep laboratory in South Africa from 1990 to 1998.
Read moreMichelle Baker has a Master’s degree in social sciences (Clinical Psychology) obtained from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and is registered with the Health Professional Council of South Africa.
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