What health issues have a proven link to Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
- Cardiovascular Diseases (~ 1/3 of patients with coronary artery disease have OSA)
- Cerebrovascular Diseases (65-80% of stroke victims have sleep apnea)
- Diabetes (independent of risk factors such as obesity, 15% of OSA patients have diabetes compared to 3% in the general population)
- Perioperative Complications
- Impotence
- Depression (lowers the threshold)
- GERD (acid reflux)
- Nocturnal bruxism (grinding of teeth)
- Morning headaches
- Dry mouth
- Impaired concentration
- Loss of memory
- Decreased libido
- Irritability
- Insomnia
So, if you snore AND have any of these health conditions, there is a good chance you have some form of obstructive sleep apnea.
What are some medical conditions associated with children when they have Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
- Tonsillar and adenoid hypertrophy
- ADHD
- Neuromuscular disorders
- Obesity
- Cerebral palsy
- Down Syndrome
- Hypothyroidism
- Oropharyngeal Papillomatosis
What should I watch for in my child?
Nighttime:
- Louder breathing noise rather than distinct snoring (occasional snoring)
- Restless sleep
- Increased sweating
- Parasomnias
- Mouth breathing
- Nocturia (wetting the bed)
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Daytime:
- Mouth breathing
- Disturbances of concentration
- Decreased performance in school
- Behavioral difficulties; motor restlessness
- Occasional daytime sleepiness
How do I know if I have sleep apnea?
There are really only 2 methods. The first is to have a polysomnogram (sleep study) at an accredited sleep center. You spend the night at the lab while being hooked up to various instruments to record data while asleep. Medical insurance typically helps to pay for this.
Secondly, some dentists have a home sleep recorder in their office that can be loaned out, typically for a fee. This is easier for some, but medical insurance does not yet recognize this, and will not help you pay for it. It does not record your sleep architecture (stages of sleep, such as REM), but it does record data that determines your level of sleep apnea.
Whatever you do, please get a sleep study done, because your life could depend on it!
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