Central sleep apnea causes – Part 2

Central Sleep Apnea is an extremely serious disorder. The name is derived from the Greek word apnea, which means “without breath.” There are three types of sleep apnea: Obstructive, Central, and Mixed. A combination of which, affect more than 12 million people in the United States.

People who suffer with Central sleep apnea will actually stop breathing on more than one occasion during the sleeping period, often for a minute or longer and up to one hundred times during the night. It is characterized by a gasping or choking by the patient that will constantly wake them up throughout the night.

CENTRAL SLEEP APNEA usually occurs with people who have been diagnosed with a serious illness as opposed to the more common OSA that is caused by external physiological reasons. Put simply, Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain doesn’t send the right signals to the body to get the breathing muscles to activate respiration.

The brain stem controls breathing, and anyone who suffers from a disease or injury that affects this area may have problems with their breathing while asleep or awake. Central Sleep Apnea occurs when there is a delay in the signal from the brain telling the body to breathe. This can be caused by a combination of factors which involves damage to the brain stem including:

1. Poliomyelitis: This an acute and potentially fatal viral disease and can leads to the invasion of the central nervous system (CNS), the spinal cord and brain.

2. Encephalitis: An Inflammation of the brain that can possibly affect the central nervous system leading to impairment or death.

3. Neurodegnerative diseases: Central sleep apnea can occur in the later stages of Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease and multiple system atrophy.

4. Complications of surgery: Any form of surgery to the secondary radiation in the region of the cervical spine.

5. Radiation treatments: On or near the cervical spine.

6. Stroke: Can cause a rupture of blood vessels or an interruption of blood flow to the affected area.

SYMPTOMS:

1. Short pauses in breathing during sleeping hours that can be a small amount of times to over a hundred times a night.

2. Frequently waking up.

3. Extreme daytime tiredness

4. Occasionally you may find in some cases a difficulty in swallowing, changes in the voice and a weakness or numbness in the body.

The prognosis for a cure will be dependent on the treatment for the original underlying medical condition that is causing this sleep disorder.

It is interesting to note that 90% of people who have sleep apnea do not even realize that they are suffering from it. It is usually the sleeping partner that will notice that the patient is having difficulty in breathing and then will bring it to their attention. Diagnosis and treatment can go a long way to vastly improve the quality of life because if left untreated, any kind of sleep apnea can both exasperate an already existing medical condition or seriously damage the health of a normally sound individual.

Sources:

http://www.sleepdisorderchanne l.com/osa/

http://sleepdisorders.about.co m/od/sleepapnea/a/central.htm

Sleep Apnea Sickness – What is It All About?

Some 30 million Americans are victims of a sleep disorder called sleep apnea sickness or in other terms obstructive sleep apnea, sleep apnea or central sleep apnea. Numerous others are predisposed and have a high risk of developing the sickness. Adult males, have the highest odds at about 50/50 that their breathing is not normal when they are sleeping. It is very important that anyone who might be experiencing this problem is predisposed, or knows someone they care about who has this sickness, should have a clear and concise understanding about it.

What you can do about sleep apnea:
The following steps help many people with sleep apnea sleep better:

Stop all use of alcohol or sleep medicines as they relax the muscles in the back of the throat, making it harder for you to breathe.
Sleep on your side or hip instead of your back. Find a high quality side sleeper pillow for maximum comfort
If you are overweight, lose weight.
If you still have problems, speak to your doctor. There are special masks that you can wear over your nose and mouth while you are sleeping. This mask is called a “continuous positive airway pressure,” or CPAP. It will keep your airway open by adding pressure to the air you breathe. The mask helps most people with sleep apnea. Surgery may be necessary, in a very few cases, to remove extra tissue or tonsils from the throat.

Additional information on Sleep Apnea:
Sleep apnea occurs in all age groups and both sexes but is more common in men (and it may be under diagnosed in women). It has been estimated that as many as 18 million Americans have sleep apnea. Four percent of middle-aged men and 2 percent of middle-aged women have sleep apnea along with excessive daytime sleepiness. People most likely to have or develop sleep apnea include those who snore loudly and also are overweight, or have high blood pressure, or have some physical abnormality in the nose, throat, or other parts of the upper airway. Sleep apnea sickness seems to run in some families, suggesting a possible genetic basis.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea:
Fatigue and tiredness during the day is one symptom of sleep apnea. Another symptom is loud snoring; if the loud snoring is repeatedly punctuated by brief periods of silence or choking sounds, the individual is certain to have obstructive sleep apnea.

Ways that sleep apnea affects your Life:
Actually, sleep apnea sickness may already have affected you more than you know. Chances are things will improve for you once the diagnosis is made. If your sleep problem can be solved by not using alcohol or sleep medicine, losing weight if you’re overweight and sleeping on your side, you will quickly begin to feel much more rested and energetic. If you must wear the mask while sleeping, you should soon feel the benefits. If you need surgery, you’ll be able to sleep better afterwards. Whatever your treatment, remember that you are not alone and help is available.

Related sleep apnea symptoms can include:
Loud snoring
Change in personality
Depression
Rapid weight gain
Reduced sex drive and impotence
High blood pressure
Restless sleep; the repeated struggle to breath can be associated with a great deal of movement.
Depressed mood and/or irritability
Snorting, gasping, choking during sleep
Insomnia
Frequent nocturnal urination
Confusion upon awakening
Difficulty concentrating
Morning headaches
Sleep that is not refreshing
Nocturnal snorting, gasping, choking (may wake self up)
High blood pressure
Overweight
Irritability
A dry mouth upon awakening
Excessive perspiring during sleep
Restless sleep
Heartburn

Sleep Apnea can be a very serious matter:
It is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. The risks of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea include heart attacks, strokes, impotence, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and heart disease. In addition, obstructive sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness that can result in accidents, lost productivity and interpersonal relationship problems. The severity of the symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe.

For many sleep apnea patients, their bed partners or family members are the first ones to suspect that something is wrong, usually from their heavy snoring and apparent struggle to breathe. Coworkers or friends of the sleep apnea victim may notice that the individual falls asleep during the day at inappropriate times (such as while driving a car, working, or talking).

During the apneic event, the person is unable to breathe in oxygen and to exhale carbon dioxide, resulting in low levels of oxygen and increased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. The reduction in oxygen and increase in carbon dioxide alert the brain to resume breathing and cause an arousal. With each arousal, a signal is sent from the brain to the upper airway muscles to open the airway; breathing is resumed, often with a loud snort or gasp. Frequent arousals, although necessary for breathing to restart, prevent the patient from getting enough restorative, deep sleep.

For many cases of sleep apnea sickness, treatment often consists of avoiding sleeping on one’s back, even if you’re wearing a mask. To help aid in a comfortable sleep choose a pillow that allows you to sleep on your side, one that elevates your head and neck allowing your airway passage to open properly while sleeping. Using a sleep apnea pillow is an unconventional, however beneficial and inexpensive sleep apnea treatment.

Sleep Apnea Treatments

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious condition that causes periods of stopped breathing during the night. Obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, refers to airway blockage that causes a sufferer to stray from their usual breathing pattern by pausing for an unusual length of time between breaths.

The Effects of Apnea

Sleep apnea affects an estimated 12 million Americans, and the majority of sufferers don’t know they have this condition. If you have sleep apnea, you are familiar with the many unpleasant symptoms that can occur, such as fatigue, headaches, frequent snoring, congestion, sleeplessness, and others. In addition to the long list of noticeable problems that can accompany sleep apnea, this condition can also have a negative effect on your general health with links to serious medical problems.

Here are a few of the conditions that have been linked to sleep apnea:

• Cardiovascular disease

• Memory problems

• Weight gain

• Impotency

• High blood pressure

• Narcolepsy

• Mood disorders

• Depression

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

• Hyperactivity or ADHD in children

Sleep Study Diagnosis

Since public awareness is gradually increasing regarding sleep apnea, it is much easier to find help today than even just a few years ago. Now there are many cosmetic dentists who offer sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosis usually starts with a sleep study where the patient is observed during sleep to measure the frequency and severity of halted breathing episodes and to evaluate breathing patterns.

Effective Apnea Treatments

As sleep apnea technology continues to progress, the treatments made available offer sleep apnea sufferers more options than ever. Treatment is a highly personalized process and will vary based on the patient’s needs. Here are a few of the treatment options that may offer relief:

• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure device (CPAP) — CPAP is a mask-like device that patients can wear overnight to help keep the airway clear and encourage normal breathing.

• Behavioral or lifestyle changes — For some, simple changes like losing weight, exercising and altering diet can help alleviate symptoms of apnea.

• Surgery – In cases where more conservative options prove ineffective, surgery can help those who are experiencing breathing problems due to anatomical causes by expanding the airway.

• Sleep habit changes – Sometimes changing sleeping position or location, adding a humidifier, avoiding alcohol and sedatives, and other behavioral changes can help.

• Medications – Certain medications may help patients manage the daytime sleepiness and fatigue symptoms.

• Dental appliances – there are a variety of oral appliances, including the tongue retaining device and mandibular repositioning device, that can be worn to encourage positive airflow and regulated breathing

Talk to an experienced sleep apnea dentist for more information on the treatments available. You can also find out more about sleep apnea causes, diagnosis and treatment by doing your own research: Sleep apnea resources.

Improve Your Sleep With Qigong and Yoga

One in three spend hours tossing and turning when they are supposed to be sleeping.  Are you one of them?  The numbers are increasing of how many people experience some type of insomnia or sleep challenge at some point in their lives.  And whether it is an accute or chronic disturbance, both yoga and qigong can help still the mind and the nervous system in preparation for natural sleep.

Good news!   Only 10 easy minutes of yoga or qigong can really assist in this process of emptying the mind of the stresses of the day and the mind chatter that often riddles you at night. 

Most everyone know even a little about yoga, but frequently, less is understood about qigong.  Here’s a quick primer.

Qigong (pronounced chee-gong) is a series of ancient Chinese exercises that use breathing and visualization to improve all areas of our mental, physical and spiritual health including our sleep.  It is an wonderful stress reducer. 

These days it is widely accepted that Chinese medicine has much to offer that our traditional western medicine does not.  Many physicians in the west are now recommending Qigong to their patients, as a complementary adjunct to traditional western treatment. 

Qigong allows the body to repair itself by putting the body’s yin and yang energy into balance.  It is gentle and relaxing and very simple to learn and practice.  Even consistently practicing for ten minutes a day provides benefits, as you will find yourself feeling more peaceful and relaxed.

There are several ways Qigong can help you sleep soundly and more peacefully.  It’s an excellent “stress reducer”.   And it is so easy to learn and simple to practice, it is quite easy to set aside a few minutes prior to bed time to perform this relaxing routine.

Stress reduction is an spontaneous benefit of practicing Qigong and in furthermore there are other benefits.  Qigong may be practiced standing, sitting, lying down or walking, therefore, for those of you that have trouble sleeping due to chronic pain, even back pain, Qigong can help here as well.  Perhaps stress, anxiety or depression presents reasons for your sleeplessness.  If so, Qigong can help.  It will balance the body’s energy system and gently aid the self-healing of virtually any complaint.

The simple movements of qigong are often easier to perform than the postures and stances in yoga.  There are many books and resources available to get you started with your qigong routine.  The following are 2 easy Qigong movements.

Stance #1
Bring your palms facing toward one another in front of your stomach (as if you were holding a ball). 
As you inhale, move your hands upward in a semi-circular motion in-between the level of your stomach and your chin.  As you exhale, move your hands downward in a semi-circular motion from your chin level to your stomach level.  This helps to detoxify your liver.  (Repeat 1 – 5 minutes.)

Stance #2
Bring your hands towards the stomach. Position your right hand above your left hand, about 6” apart with palms facing one another.  Move your right hand above your heart with your palm facing down.  The left hand is below your heart, and your palm is facing upward.  As you inhale, move your hands apart, when you exhale bring your palms closer.  Repeat motion numerous times, then change arm position so that left hand is on top, and right hand is lower. (Repeat 1 – 5 minutes.)

For those of you who prefer yoga, I recommend you try the following postures that may soothe your jangled nerves and ease you into dreamland.  Both are VERY easy to do even for non-yoga devotees.

Child’s Pose
This is a very simple resting pose that often elicits the natural feeling of total relaxation.  Do you remember when you were a kid and tired from playing?  It was so natural to put your head down and simply relax.  You can do this on the floor or on your bed.  Simply sit down with your legs underneath you, meaning your shins are flat on the floor or bed.  Your buttocks are resting on the heels of your feet.   Knees are open about shoulder width apart.  Then simply fold forward and rest your head on a pillow (or the floor).  Your arms can be extended up beside your ears or resting by your hips.  Hold this position for about 1 – 2 minutes.  Take easy relaxing breaths, while thinking ‘calm’ and ‘relax’.

Legs Up the Wall (and heart above your head)
You’ll need a folded blanket or large pillow under your hips.  Find a wall space or door face where you can stretch your legs up the wall.  Your back is on the floor, your hips are on the blanket or pillow, and your legs are up the wall.  Once you are in place, simply straighten your legs so that your heels rest on the wall.  Make sure the blanket or pillow is thick enough to support your hips/weight, so that you are not stressing and straining to hold this position.  It’s great to cover your eyes with a sleep mask or lavender/flax filled mask that helps to relief the tension in the tiny muscles surrounding your eyes.  Hold this position for about 5 minutes.  Having your legs upright and your heart slightly elevated above your head level really helps to cool and calm your nervous system.

As always, I wish you improved sleep!

The consequences of sleep deprivation – Part 1

For most people, walking around in a constant state of fatigue has become normal. Having a lack of energy and feeling tired can often be corrected with improvements to your diet and including exercise in your daily routine, but there are many medical reasons that could be contributing or causing your tiredness.

Sleep Disorder. There are two very common sleep disorders that interfere with getting the sleep you need to feel rested.

Sleep apnea, which is an abnormal breathing condition that is caused by an intermittent obstruction fo the upper airways during sleep.

Restless syndrome causes discomfort in the legs that actually causes frequent waking and is often a result of an iron deficiency. An overnight sleep disorder can diagnose either of these conditions and then a doctor can determine your treatment options. Diabetes. More than 23 million Americans suffer from Diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is unable to produce insulin, and in type 2 diabetes, the pancreas continues to produce insulin but the body doesn’t respond to it. Fatique is a key symptom in both types of the disease. Diabetes can be diagnosed with a blood test, and can be prevented and improved with proper diet and exercise (although type 1 will require insulin injections).Thyroid conditions.

The thyroid handles a ton of your bodily functions,a nd when something goes wrong you’ll often feel fatigue, sluggish, malaise and cold. A thyroid could be overactive or underactive, and can be tested with TSH blood tests. Medication will solve most conditions of the Thyroid gland.Anemia. When you have a reduced number of red blood cells, you can feel tired. Red blood cells are the cells that are in charge of bringing oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and the rest of your body. If there is less oxygen being delivered to your muscles and tissues, you will feel tired, as well as experience a shortness of breath or a faster pulse at times.

Anemia is typically the result of having low iron levels. One in five women suffer from Anemia in the US, and 3% of men. It can be tested with a simple blood test (CBC). Iron supplements help if you have an iron deficiency.Depression. More than 20 million Americans suffer from some form of depression, and the symptoms include fatigue as well as the rest of your body and general health. If you are depressed, you can be treated with medication or talk-treatment, or a combination of the two. If you walk around exhausted day after day, you should speak with a doctor about that and any other symptoms you may have. It could be a warning sign of a medical condition that needs to be treated.

Dyssomnia treatments – Part 2

Are you having excessive difficulty sleeping? Do you wake up too early or find that you can not go to sleep at night? You could possibly be suffering from Dyssomnia. Dyssomnia covers a range of specific sleep disorders that cause a disturbance of the body’s natural resting and waking patterns.

One of the first things you should do if you are experiencing any of these symptoms is to have good sleep habits. Some of the following are recommendations:

1) Having a dark, quiet, and comfortable sleeping environment

2) Use the bed only for sex and sleep

3) Wake up at the same time every morning

4) Don’t go to bed unless you are tired

5) Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and any other stimulants after having dinner

6) Avoid excessive daytime naps

7) Exercise, avoid getting obese

Some sleep disorders cannot be prevented. These are associated with possible medical or psychological disorders. To determine if this is the cause, a person would need to have a detailed Mental Status Examination performed. A person found to have a psychological disorder should then be seen by a psychologist or a psychiatrist to determine the appropriate treatment.

Medication treatment is available but you should first try to develop good sleep habits as mentioned above, practice relaxation methods, and seek counseling. If these things do not help, then your doctor can prescribe medication as a last resort.

Some commonly used medications are Valium (diazepam) and Ativan (lorazepam) which are both types of benzodiazepines. These are anti-anxiety medications that also cause sleep. Antidepressants such as Elavil (amitriptyline) can be used at bedtime because of their sedating effect. If the cause of the dyssomnia is related to another problem such as depression, the physician would treat the depression to help solve the dyssomnia. All of these medications require a prescription. They must be used with caution and monitored by a doctor because they can become very addictive and have other side effects.

Hypnotics are also used to help reduce the amount of time needed to fall asleep. These are less addictive than benzodiazepines. Ambien (zolpidem) and Sonata (zaleplon) are two examples. Treatment with these medications are being found to be very effective.

And remember that if you are having any excessive difficulties, seek help from your doctor. Do not self diagnose. Doctors have far more experienced in these areas and will know which treatment is best for you.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatments

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is far more common than a lot of people would think. There are approximately 20 million men , women, and even children who have OSA. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is by far the most common type but there is a type called centalized sleep apnea too. OSA will be the topic of discussion in this article. What happens when you have OSA is that you stop breathing during sleep because the airway closes or collapses. Airway collapse can be due to such factors as a very large tongue, extra tissue in the airway or decreased muscle tone in the muscles holding the airway open. Any or all of this prevents air from getting into the lungs properly. These pauses in breathing can occur up to 30 times an hour and can lead to serious health conditions if not treated.

How do you find out if you have sleep apnea. Your doctor will schedule you for a sleep study known as a polysomnogram. It is completely painless and all you have to do is go to a sleep study center usually in a hospital and sleep over night. They hook up all kinds of leads and sensors all over your body and head to monitor eye movement, leg movement and everything plus they have a camera that watches you. You look like Milli Vanilli with all the leads and sensors hanging off your head. You lay down and go to sleep and then later they come in and give you a CPAP mask and watch the change after you get the CPAP mask From all this they can determine if you have sleep apnea and then they can decide on the proper treatment.

The best and easiest treatment is to be fitted for CPAP mask. CPAP stands for Continuos Positive Airway Pressue. It involves a machine that can be set for different pressures depending on what the individual needs to keep the airway open. It has a mask and headgear that you wear at night and it keeps your airway open and lets you get a good nights sleep. It is good to hook it through some kind of a mositue producing appartus because it drys out your nose if your don’t This is definitely the treatment of choice but there are a few people who say they can’t wear that mask or that it interferes with romance or their vanity. I have been wearing one now for nine years and I honestly have troble going to sleep without it, Once you get used to it, it is no problem and if you need to for some reason, just take it off. Heck, I even put mine on if I lay down to take an afternoon nap. Positive Airway Pressure provides a continuous flow of air through your nose using the

Dyssomnia treatments – Part 5

The term dyssomnia is used to describe a variety of over 30 different sleep disorders, including narcolepsy, for example. They all involve a difficulty in getting to sleep or staying asleep once you are asleep, for a variety of reasons. They are characterized by disturbances to sleep that may see the amount of sleep decrease, the quality of sleep suffer, or the timing of the sleep become erratic.

Factors that have been implicated in dyssomnias range from stress-related causes to physical discomfort. This may be down to problems with work or family or to muscular or joint pains. Daytime napping can also be a factor. As can the consumption of caffeine based products such as coffee, cola, and chocolate.

There are both psychological and pharmacological treatments for dyssomnias. The psychological treatment typically takes the form of cognitive behavioral therapy and is typically the initial course of action. Pharmacological treatments may be more appropriate in cases where acute distress is a factor, e.g. grief reaction. But both of these methods may be combined in treatment.

Sleep paralysis treatments – Part 4

Sleep paralysis is the inability to move either at the onset of sleep or upon waking. Many times, the person experiencing this is fully alert and cognizant of everything around him or her, but they can not move. It is a real medical condition with causes and treatments.

Most commonly, this can be treated with better sleep habits. That means keeping on a sleep/wake schedule, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, and staying away from caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol for several hours before bed. All of these things can contribute to the experience of sleep paralysis.

If these things don’t work, sometimes finding a good before bed ritual helps. Maybe drink a cup of chamomile tea or drink a glass of warm milk. Both of these will aid in inducing sleep. It might also help to read something dry or boring before bed.

If the condition persists or becomes worse, certain medications can be used to help alleviate it. Certain anti-depressant medications and certain anti-anxiety medications have shown to treat sleep paralysis fairly well.

Sleep paralysis can be a frightening experience, but with better sleep habits the vast majority of people don’t have to worry about frequent episodes. However, for those who have this sometimes frightening experience frequently, there are medications out there that can make it better.

Drugs and Medicine for Treatment of Sleeplessness

Nitrazepam (Hypnote)

Nitrazepam is effective in initiating and maintaining sleep even when used for a prolonged period. It produces sleep like natural sleep, that is, it does not inhibit REM sleep which is a part of natural sleep. Most people can tolerates this drug. Moreover, it is not addictive. The only problem with this drug is that it has a sustained action, and residual sedative action ‘occurs on the day following its administration. This drug is also unsuitable for patients who develop sudden breathing difficulty and wake up because of it. Its dose of 5 to 10 mg is effective in producing good sleep and is superior to diazepam which is frequently used in India for inducing sedation and sleep. The latter drug is used in insomnia due to anxiety.

Non-benzadiazepine Drugs

A number of new drugs have been developed to induce sleep without disturbing the sleep cycle.

Melatonin (Eternex 3 mg)

It is a hormone of pineal gland. It maintains ‘biological clock’ which regulates sleep-wake cycle. When sleep sleep is disturbed due to changes in biorythms (jet-lag) melatonin can induce sleep headace, itching and confusion (some preprations like zytonin have vitamin B6) at night. It can cause fatigue, headache, itching and confusion.

Zaleplon (Zaplon, Zaso 5 mg, 10 mg tab.)

It rapidly induces sleep but total sleep time is unchanged and therefore daytime hangover is less. It may cause headache, nausea and stomach upset.

Zolpidem (Aoldem, Zolpid 5 mg, 10 mg)

This drug induces sleep quickly and increases total sleep time. Dependence potential is less with its use. Its usual dose is 5 to 10 mg at night.

Choosing a Right Treatment in Elderly

A common cause of sleeplessness in elderly is age related changes in the sleep cycle. Loss of family support, prostatic enlargement with frequent urination at night, dementia or depression should be looked for and treated. Restriction of excessive fluid intake in elderly, avoiding drugs which cause insomnia and use of short acting hypnotic in smaller doses (because drug disposition is changed in them) initially are some useful measures. Sometimes a glassful of warm milk can be a good hypnotic. Milk contains ‘tryptophan’ which is needed to make serotonin. Yoga exercises alongwith meditation can help those who do not have any discernible cause.

Drugs which stimulate the CNS can cause sleeplessness. These include caffeine, nicotine, ephedrine, amphetamine, appetite suppressants, nasal-decongestants, (Phenylpropanolamine). Other drugs like chloroquine, ciprofloxacin, metronidazole, levodopa, some anti-depressants (fluoxetine) and diuretics, if used in evening/at night can cause sleeplessness. Stopping their use or substituting any of them with alternative drugs can treat insomnia.

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