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One page article for newsletter.
Sleep Apnoea. The Silent Killer.
Do you have sleep apnoea? Sleep apnoea can kill you.
Sleep apnoea occurs when the walls of the throat come together during sleep, blocking off the upper airway at the level of the tongue. Breathing stops for a period of time (generally between a few seconds and up to one minute) until the brain registers the lack of breathing or a drop in oxygen levels and sends a small wake-up call. The sleeper rouses slightly, opens the upper airway, typically snorts and gasps, then drifts back to sleep almost immediately.
In most cases, the person suffering from sleep apnoea doesn’t even realise they are waking up. This pattern can repeat itself hundreds of times over every night, causing fragmented sleep. This leaves the person with unrefreshed sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue caused by low oxygen levels in the blood. It’s estimated that about five per cent of Australians suffer from this sleep disorder, with around one in four men over the age of 30 years affected.
Untreated sleep apnoea can:
Increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, and diabetes.
Increase the risk for or worsen heart failure
Make irregular heartbeats more likely
Increase the chance of having work-related or driving accidents
Symptoms of sleep apnoea include:
Frequent gaps in breathing during sleep (apnoea).
Gasping or choking for air to restart breathing, often causing sleeper or partner to wake
Loud snoring.
Feeling unrefreshed after a night’s sleep and excessive daytime tiredness.
Poor concentration.
Irritability and mood changes.
There are three kinds of sleep apnoea.
1.Obstructive sleep apnoea. The throat is composed of collapsible walls of soft tissue which can obstruct breathing during sleep. When breathing stops it is jump started by signals from the brain.
2. Central sleep apnoea. This is where the brain ceases to send signals to the throat for a varying length of time.
3. Mixed apnoea and complex sleep apnoea. In both cases the signals from the brain can cease permanently, resulting in death.
Diagnosis can only be carried out by a sleep test which can be done at the Murray Valley Private Hospital or it can be done at home. It involves you being wired up and the information is recorded and sent away for diagnosis to a sleep specialist in Melbourne.
Treatment involves using a CPAP machine to pump air into your lungs, increasing the air pressure thus pushing back into place the tongue and linings of the throat.
If in doubt, ask your GP. He could then refer you to treatment.
I have written this for my retirement village newsletter. Do you have any comments and suggestions?
Views: 37
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on
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Gordon, it's well written. One thing I would I would say is that CPAP doesn't push air into the lungs, rather by providing Continuous Positive Airway Pressure it "splints" open the airway with air pressure.
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Permalink Reply by Judy on
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What a great article, Gordon. You really did a good job! MaryZ's and jnk's suggestions can only make it all that much better, but even as is, you get the information across in great style.
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Permalink Reply by Banyon on
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Gordon,
Good for you for putting out a warning to your friends.
I think the prevalence of sleep apnea is still very much underestimated. Here are some comments by Dr. Park:
"Knowing that up to 57% of men and 35% of women ages 30 to 70, and up to 81% in the elderly (above 65 years) have sleep apnea, this study's findings are not surprising." http://doctorstevenpark.com/do-all-stroke-patients-need-a-sleep-study
I bet you have a very high percentage of undiagnosed in your retirement village. So I would make a comment about how very common it is.
Also, I am wondering if Murray Valley would be willing to hold a sort of sleep health fair at your village. A knowledgeable medical professional could do one-on-one confidential screenings for sleep apnea. They should use a questionnaire they are comfortable with such as some combination of the Berlin Questionnaire and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. They should also view the jaw structure for additional information. Anyone screening positive could be scheduled for an actual sleep study (I like the portable home equipment).
Murray Valley should not charge for the screening. Their payoff will be the sleep studies performed later.
I have seen this done here in a mall where a sleep lab set up a booth to do the free screening.
I'll bet you have many undiagnosed sleep apneics in your village.
Good work!
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Permalink Reply by Gordon Osmond on
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Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. You were most helpful.
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Godon, tet us know what the final draft looks like and how the whole project turned out, if you went further that an article in the newsletter (which by itself is manageable and a great idea- I don't think I could manage arranging a whole screening process myself).
Gordon Osmond said:Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. You were most helpful.
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Sleep Apnoea. The Silent Killer.
Do you have sleep apnoea? Sleep apnoea can kill you.
Sleep apnoea occurs when the walls of the throat come together during sleep, blocking off the upper airway at the level of the tongue. Breathing stops for a period of time (generally between a few seconds and up to one minute) until the brain registers the lack of breathing or a drop in oxygen levels and sends a small wake-up call. The sleeper rouses slightly, opens the upper airway, typically snorts and gasps, then drifts back to sleep almost immediately. This is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. If the brain fails to send a signal, this is Central Sleep Apnoea.
In most cases, the person suffering from sleep apnoea doesn’t even realise they are waking up. This pattern can repeat itself hundreds of times over every night, causing fragmented sleep. This leaves the person with unrefreshed sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue caused by low oxygen levels in the blood and high levels of carbon dioxide in the lungs. It’s estimated that about five per cent of Australians suffer from this sleep disorder, with around one in four men over the age of 30 years affected.
Untreated sleep apnoea can:
Increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, and diabetes.
Increase the risk for or worsen heart failure
Make irregular heartbeats more likely
Increase the chance of having work-related or driving accidents
Symptoms of sleep apnoea include:
Frequent gaps in breathing during sleep (apnoea).
Gasping or choking for air to restart breathing, often causing sleeper or
partner to wake
Loud snoring.
Feeling unrefreshed after a night’s sleep and excessive daytime tiredness.
Poor concentration.
Irritability and mood changes.
There are three kinds of sleep apnoea.
1.Obstructive sleep apnoea. The throat is composed of collapsible walls of soft tissue which can obstruct breathing during sleep. When breathing stops it is jump started by signals from the brain. This is the most common type.
2. Central sleep apnoea. This is where the brain ceases to send signals to the nose and throat for a varying length of time.
3. Mixed or complex sleep apnoea.
In the three cases the signals from the brain can cease permanently, resulting in death.
Diagnosis can only be carried out by a sleep test which can be done at the Murray Valley Private Hospital or it can be done at home. It involves you being wired up and the information is recorded and sent away for diagnosis to a sleep specialist in Melbourne. Treatment involves using a CPAP machine maintain a higher and continuous air pressure, Holding in place the tongue, uvula and linings of the throat.
If in doubt, ask your GP. He could then refer you to treatment.
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Sounds really good ,Gordon.
Gordon Osmond said:Sleep Apnoea. The Silent Killer
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Excellent job, Gordon.
Except: "... 2. Central sleep apnoea. This is where the brain ceases to send signals to the nose and throat for a varying length of time. ..."
The brain isn't sending signals to the nose and throat, it is sending signals to the entire respiratory system to BREATHE! It would be more accurate to just say that "the brain ceases to remind the body to breathe".
And: "... Treatment involves using a CPAP machine maintain a higher and continuous air pressure, Holding in place the tongue, uvula and linings of the throat. ..."
I would suggest perhaps "Treatment involves sleeping w/a Continuous Postive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine to maintain an open airway, holding in place the tongue, uvula and linings of the throat"
Or ".... preventing the tongue, uvula and linings of the throat from collapsing"
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Judy said:Excellent job, Gordon.
Except: "... 2. Central sleep apnoea. This is where the brain ceases to send signals to the nose and throat for a varying length of time. ..."
The brain isn't sending signals to the nose and throat, it is sending signals to the entire respiratory system to BREATHE! It would be more accurate to just say that "the brain ceases to remind the body to breathe".
And: "... Treatment involves using a CPAP machine maintain a higher and continuous air pressure, Holding in place the tongue, uvula and linings of the throat. ..."
I would suggest perhaps "Treatment involves sleeping w/a Continuous Postive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine to maintain an open airway, holding in place the tongue, uvula and linings of the throat"
Or ".... preventing the tongue, uvula and linings of the throat from collapsing"
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Thanks Judy for your corrections. They have been taken aboard. I'm glad that I posted thie early enough for all the comments and suggestions.
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