Obstructive sleep apnea affects 5 to 10% of the population, or up to 30,000,000 people in the US alone. We have discussed some of the symptoms before, including excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, waking up unrefreshed. The most common compIaint I hear from a patient is “feels like I have never been to bed, when I wake up in the morning”. The spouse is usually the first one to complain of restless sleep, heavy snoring and pauses in breathing by the bed partner. Treatment of sleep apnea usually results in the patient and the spouse sleeping much better.
Symptoms of sleep apnea are numerous, from severe symptomatolgy as Congestive Heart Failure, difficult to treat Hypertension , Pulmonary Hypertension, increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, Heart Attacks and Strokes ,as well as sudden unexplained death in severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea.. Milder symptoms may consist of pedal edema, or “feet and leg swelling”, frequent urination at night, restless sleep and insomnia, impotence, difficult to control diabetes and fatigue .
Effective treatment for sleep apnea, usually consists of CPAP, or (C)ontinuous (P)ositive (A)irway
(P)ressure. CPAP works as a pneumatic splint to keep the airway open at night and is a very effective treatment in most cases for obstructive sleep apnea. Other options for mild obstructive sleep apnea include surgical options or anti-snoring devices.
If you suspect you or your spouse may have obstructive sleep apnea discuss this with your Primary Doctor or a Sleep Specialist MD/DO.
Thank You,
Dr. Jeffrey