Name: Bonnie
Age: 60
Health: History of high blood pressure, diabetes and long-standing asthma
For years, Bonnie had been receiving treatment for high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma-taking 12 different medications daily for her conditions. She also had sleeping problems that she never discussed with her physician. She was always tired, snored loudly and sometimes awoke gasping for air. Bonnie often fell asleep during the day, and she never had energy.
Bonnie was finally diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea include:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Loud, disruptive snoring
- Irregular breathing during sleep (eg: gasping, long pauses, shallow breathing - a spouse or partner may notice these)
- Restless sleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Depression or irritability
- Morning headaches
- High blood pressure
- Weight problems
Many people are not even aware that they have sleep apnea. Often, a bed partner is the first to witness their symptoms.
One day, Bonnie's cardiologist asked her if she had trouble sleeping, finally exposing her sleep problems. Bonnie was then referred to a sleep lab for an overnight sleep study to determine whether she suffered from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can now be diagnosed in the home, in addition to a sleep center.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a general term for breathing problems that occur during sleep. People with sleep apnea stop breathing throughout the night up to 100 times per hour.
Sleep apnea affects approximately 20 million adults, and has serious negative health effects when present with other conditions.
"Many people are not even aware that they have sleep apnea"
If you suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, heart trouble or are overweight, treating your sleep apnea may improve all of these conditions while making you feel better.
The good news is that sleep apnea can be treated easily!
Bonnie's sleep study indicated that she stopped breathing or partially stopped breathing 85 times during one hour of sleep. Her oxygen levels dropped significantly while she was sleeping, and she was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. She was then prescribed CPAP continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for her condition.
After starting CPAP therapy, her sleep quality improvedimmediately. The number of times she stopped breathing dropped from 85 to 5, and her blood pressure lowered significantly. Bonnie reports feeling better. She has more energy and has been able to stop taking some of the blood pressure medications. Overall, Bonnie has seen a dramatic improvement in her quality of life!
What is CPAP therapy?
CPAP is the most widely accepted treatment for sleep apnea. A bedside device gently delivers pressurized air through a nasal mask or pillows system. This pressure acts like an "air splint" to keep the upper airway open and help prevent apneas. CPAP treatment does not involve drugs or surgery and helps hundreds of thousands of people worldwide enjoy healthier sleep and a healthier life. Many patients experience the benefits quickly-often after the first night of use. There is no cure for sleep apnea at this time.
Courtesy of ResMed (www.resmed.com)
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