Sleep Apnea (cont.)
Why is it important to treat obstructive sleep apnea?
When a person with OSA considers all the options for
treatment, he or she may be tempted to not choose any of them. The masks and
dental appliances have to be worn every night. The surgeries are painful and
have no guarantee that they will be successful. When considering the
consequences of all the treatments, however, it is important to remember that
there are consequences of not receiving treatment. It is estimated that only 10%
of patients with obstructive sleep apnea are being treated. Some of the
remaining 90% know that they have a problem, but they choose not to pursue
treatment. People with obstructive sleep apnea may have a right to accept the
risks to their health that refusing treatment poses; however, when they drive, they put
everyone else at risk as well. People who refuse treatment for their obstructive
sleep apnea should
be reported to the DMV, which often will suspend their driver's licenses.
Untreated obstructive sleep apnea also increases the risk of:
- heart attacks,
- strokes,
- high blood pressure,
- decreased productivity at work,
- decreased attentiveness at home, and
- sudden death.
If you think that you or someone you know may have OSA,
please discuss the symptoms with your doctor as soon as possible.
- Sleep apnea is defined as a reduction or cessation of
breathing during sleep.
- The three types of sleep apnea are central apnea,
obstructive apnea, and a mixture of central and obstructive apnea.
- Central sleep apnea is caused by a failure of the
brain to activate the muscles of breathing during sleep.
- Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the collapse of
the airway during sleep.
- The complications of obstructive sleep apnea include
high blood pressure, strokes, heart disease, automobile accidents, and daytime
sleepiness as well as difficulty concentrating, thinking and remembering.
- Obstructive sleep apnea is diagnosed and evaluated by
history, physical examination and polysomnography.
- The non-surgical treatments for obstructive sleep
apnea include behavior therapy, medications, dental appliances, continuous
positive airway pressure, bi-level positive airway pressure, and
auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure.
- The surgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea include nasal surgery,
palate implants, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, tongue reduction surgery,
genioglossus advancement, maxillo-mandibular advancement, tracheostomy, and
bariatric surgery.
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Last Editorial Review: 9/20/2005
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