Author Archives: MelanieR

Three Sleep Apnea Myths Debunked

Myth 1. “I’m obese, so I definitely have sleep apnea”.

FICTION

According to the Mayo Clinic, obesity greatly increases your risk of developing sleep apnea by the extra fat that causes an obstruction to your breathing while sleeping. However, it is a common misconception that all obese people have sleep apnea. People of all size can develop it especially if they have an irregular neck of facial anatomy. This can include the size of the tonsils, jaw, and neck (Ohayon, 1997). 

Shown here is a male with an acceptable BMI, who suffers from severe obstructive sleep apnea. Unlike the typical OSA patient, his obstruction is due to jaw deformity. As you can see Pre-op on the left, and Post-op on the right. This patients sleep apnea has improved by 90% post-op.

Myth 2. “I’ve had sleep apnea for years, I don’t need to wear CPAP”.

FICTION

According to the American Association of Respiratory Care, CPAP is proven to be the most effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. But CPAP may not be the answer for everyone. Depending on your condition, you may seek other treatment like oral surgery or weight loss. Howver, if left untreated, you will be at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and more (Sandhya, 2020). 

Myth 3. “I snore but I don’t have sleep apnea”.

FACT

Although snoring may be the number one sign of sleep apnea, it is not always the answer. Snoring can be caused by multiple factors like alcohol and nasal congestion. To truly know if you have sleep apnea, a sleep study must be performed. It’s a series of tests that will monitor your sleep patterns throughout the night. 

References

Sandhya, P. (2020). Sleep apnea. Mayo Foundation for medical education and research. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631

Benjafield, A. (2019). Estimation of the global prevalence and burden of obstructive sleep apnea: a literature-based analysis. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7007763/

Caples SM1, Rowley JA, Prinsell JR, Pallanch JF, Elamin MB, Katz SG, Harwick JD. Surgical modifications of the upper airway for obstructive sleep apnea in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep. 2010 Oct;33(10):1396-407.

Living with Sleep Apnea

Living with Sleep Apnea

Did you know? Approximately one billion of the worlds population suffer from sleep apnea (Lyons, 2020).

What is it?

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder in which you stop breathing while you’re sleeping. It is usually characterized with daytime sleepiness, difficulty paying attention and most commonly, snoring (Cleveland Clinic, 2020).

Here is a closer look at what actually happens to your airway when you have sleep apnea

So you have sleep apnea: Do you REALLY have to wear CPAP?

See what Shaq has to say about it!

What is CPAP anyway?

CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. It is a medical device that pushes air into your lungs via a mask. This is worn during sleep when the apnea occurs. With compliance, CPAP can greatly reduce sleep apnea symptoms. 

            An image demonstrating the splinting of the airway with CPAP usage

 

 

Research Says…

Respiratory Care Volume 63, Issue 10, published an article titled “Effects of CPAP Compliance in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients at Victory Health Partners”. The most common issue with CPAP therapy is patient compliance. The main purpose of this publication was to test if CPAP compliance would help alleviate the clinical symptoms of OSA. They did this by surveying a certain number of people with OSA who then used their CPAP. The conclusion being, with CPAP compliance, symptoms were significantly reduced. Those symptoms included snoring, apnea, fatigue, and daytime tiredness. 

 

 

Resources

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8718-sleep-apnea

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/sleep-apnea

https://www.massgeneral.org/condition/sleep-apnea#overview

Link
 

Do you snore? Are you often tired during the day? Do you wake up with a dry mouth? You may have a sleeping/breathing disorder.

Sleep apnea is very common, affecting over 100 million people worldwide. Apnea is when someone stops breathing. Sleep apnea is when someone has periods of apnea during sleep, usually in the form of snoring.

Sleep apnea is diagnosed by participating in a sleep study. This is where they put a ton of probes on you and monitor your breathing patterns while you sleep. At the end of the test, someone will tell you if you have this disorder. They may also recommend a solution…