Podcast #18 Obstructive Sleep Apnea: More Than Just Snoring with Dr. Tim Connolly-Houston Methodist Hospital and Texas A & M EnM3ed School of Medicine
By
Leonard Zwelling
Obstructive sleep apnea is an ever more commonly recognized syndrome. It is essentially a narrowing of the muscles in the neck that leads to a shrinking of the passageway for air to the lungs causing sudden awakening. Untreated, this can lead to decreased blood flow and oxygenation throughout the body’s vascular beds including that of the heart and brain.
It is seen in about one in four males and one in ten premenopausal females increasing in women after menopause. It is more commonly seen in Asians, but all ethnic groups are vulnerable. Obesity contributes to sleep apnea symptoms.
It is often diagnosed when a bedmate complains about excessive snoring or a partner’s not breathing. It is also being more widely recognized by cardiologists as being associated with atrial arrhythmias.
There is now a home test for sleep apnea, making the diagnosis and quantification of its severity much easier than in the past. Essentially, fewer than 5 awakening events per hour is normal; 5-14 is mild apnea; 15-30 moderate; and more than 30 severe. Treatment is recommended even with some cases of mild apnea, but certainly for moderate or severe.
The most effective treatment is the use of a CPAP machine at night. CPAP is continuous positive airway pressure. Devices that stimulate the nerves to the neck muscles may also be effective when CPAP therapy fails.
If left untreated obstructive sleep apnea can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and even death. It has also been associated with dementia.
Sleep apnea is a very common disorder that is easily diagnosed and readily treated. We hope this podcast will raise awareness of its protean nature and medicine’s ability to prevent the acute and chronic detrimental effects.
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