What is sleep apnea syndrome?

Sleep apnea syndrome is a serious disorder. It is a common chronic disease that endangers human health. In recent years, people have gradually paid great attention to this disease. The patient will stop breathing many times during sleep, which will prevent the blood from getting enough oxygen, and ultimately make it difficult for the patient to sleep well. So, what exactly is sleep apnea syndrome? Now let me give you a detailed introduction.

Classification of sleep apnea syndrome

Obstructive type: refers to airway obstruction, no airflow in the nose and mouth, but chest and abdominal breathing still exists.

Central type: caused by dysfunction of the respiratory center of the central nervous system, with simultaneous cessation of oral and nasal airflow and chest and abdominal respiratory movements.

Mixed type: refers to the coexistence of central and obstructive apnea.

Sleep apnea can be classified as:

①Obstructive sleep apnea. This is the most common type, and most patients are middle-aged men who are overweight. Suffocation may occur due to excessive fat blocking the throat or the upper respiratory tract being too narrow, which makes it difficult for air to flow smoothly during breathing.

②Central sleep apnea. Suffocation occurs when the brain cannot issue breathing commands due to brain trauma or other problems.

③Mixed sleep apnea. The patient suffers from both obstructive and central sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is the abbreviation of "obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome". When you find that you snore during sleep, the volume is high, very loud, intermittent, and the snoring sound is irregular; you are extremely sleepy during the day and cannot control it, sometimes you fall asleep in meetings, at work, while talking to each other, while eating, and even while driving a vehicle; you wake up easily at night; you have increased nocturia; your memory is impaired; you feel dizzy and weak, and your personality changes include intellectual and memory loss, and sexual dysfunction, etc. If children and teenagers develop this disease, it will affect their growth and development, and may even cause jaw deformities, such as mandibular retrusion, mandibular retrognathia, and mandibular deformity.

Sleep apnea is more likely to occur if the patient is obese, smokes, is addicted to alcohol, or takes sedatives for a long time. Therefore, if you find that you have the above symptoms and risk factors, you should see an ENT specialist as soon as possible, conduct detailed related examinations, and make a diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

Auxiliary examinations include polysomnography monitoring, which can comprehensively and quantitatively evaluate the patient's sleep structure, breathing disorders and hypoxemia during sleep, as well as changes in ECG and blood pressure; nasopharyngeal fiberscope examination, in standing and supine positions, can examine the patient's nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx, including the condition of soft tissue, the location and degree of airway obstruction, and the presence of tumors and masses in the airway and surrounding areas.

Treatment depends on the type of symptoms and can be non-surgical or surgical. Non-surgical treatments include avoiding drinking alcohol, taking sedatives or sleeping pills, adjusting sleeping posture, losing weight, wearing oral appliances, and ventilator therapy. Surgical treatment is performed according to the site of upper airway obstruction, including nasal surgery and pharyngeal surgery including uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.

If the patient is overweight, he must lose weight and control his weight. He should also actively go to the hospital for examination and treatment. He should not eat greasy and fried foods to avoid worsening of the condition. He must not continue to smoke and drink. It is best to sleep on the right side. This can ensure that the heart is not compressed and can also help to fall asleep better. I wish all patients and friends a speedy recovery.