Impaired breathing during sleep can lead to serious
brain injury that disrupts memory and thinking. People with sleep
apnea stop breathing and awaken repeatedly during the night,
leading to chronic daytime fatigue and memory and concentration
problems. Research has linked sleep apnea to an increased risk of
stroke, heart disease and diabetes. In the laboratory people with
sleep apnea show tissue loss in brain regions that help store
memory.
Apnea is a technical term for
suspension of external breathing. During apnea there is no
movement of the muscles of respiration and the volume of the
lungs initially remains unchanged. Depending on the patency
(openness) of the airways there may or may not be a flow of air
between the lungs and the environment; air exchange within the
lungs and cellular respiration is not affected. Apnea can be
voluntarily achieved (e.g., "holding one's breath"),
drug-induced (e.g., opiate toxicity), mechanically induced
(e.g., strangulation), or it can occur as a consequence of
neurological disease or trauma.
Wikipedia
Sleep apnea disrupts
the lives of millions of unsuspecting victims. Their
struggle to breathe during sleep is a major cause of
daytime sleepiness, accidents, poor health, lost years
of productivity and happiness, and even death. Experts
in sleep medicine and a patient guide people with
snoring and sleep apnea and their families to take
advantage of dramatically effective medical treatment.
Broughton, the medical director of the accredited
University of Alabama Knollwood Sleep Disorders
Center, updates current advances. Demko reviews oral
appliance therapy. They explain sleep as well as sleep
apnea, and show the person with apnea how to recognize
it, obtain a diagnosis, treat it, and overcome social,
physical, or emotional obstacles to recovery. Coverage
of treatments including CPAP, bi-level, and automatic
positive pressure treatment devices, surgery, and oral
appliances. Travel, precautions for surgery, internet
resources, directories of organizations, equipment and
manufacturers.
Snoring and Sleep Apnea is written for people with
sleep apnea, as well as for their bed partners,
families, and friends, and for health care
professionals involved in sleep apnea management.
Written by experts in the field, the book covers
causes, diagnosis, treatment, and surgical techniques
as well as the pros and cons of specific therapies.
Readers learn when snoring is a sign of sleep apnea,
why the condition is dangerous, when to see a sleep
specialist, where to find an accredited sleep disorder
center, the latest treatments, and how to feel better
fast. Fully revised and expanded, this edition also
contains a new chapter on women and sleep apnea;
managing children and adolescents with the problem;
advances in CPAP and other key treatments; and the
latest statistics on the impact of sleep apnea on
obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
When the last dinner
dishes have been put away and the evening news is
over, most of us think about going to bed. But for the
millions who suffer from a chronic sleep disorder,
going to bed doesn’t necessarily mean going to sleep.
And for millions more who experience occasional sleep
disturbances, nighttime might not be such a picnic,
either.
Now there’s an easy-to-follow guide to help you get a
good night’s rest. Sleep Disorders For Dummies is for
anyone who has trouble sleeping—or has a loved one who
suffers from a sleep disorder. Written by a sleep
specialist and a medical reporter, this no-nonsense
guide helps you:
* Prevent and manage sleep disorders
* Improve your sleep habits
* Find relief from your symptoms
* Ask your doctor the right questions
* Enhance the quality of sleep
