Sleep Apnea: A Silent Killer

According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, more than 12 million Americans suffer from Sleep Apnea. I am one of the 12 million. And my daughter has just been diagnosed as another.

Sleep apnea is a slow killer. Short term effects are as drastic as long term symptoms. The immediate effect of sleep apnea is interrupted sleep. During the night, the afflicted will actually stop breathing. These pauses can be quick or can last more than a minute before the brain "wakes" the sleeper. Usually, these episodes are not enough to bring the sleeper to full consciousness, but just enough to interrupt the sleep cycle and get the sleeper to start breathing again.

In of itself, this does not sound too bad. But imagine not having a full night of restful sleep, not once, not twice, not three times a week, but every single night. And as time goes on- weeks, months, years- the impact of not resting will take a drastic toll on the body.

After awhile, exhaustion will reach such a point, the strongest legal stimulants, caffeine and nicotine, barely have any effect. You are tired during the day, all day. Keeping your eyes open during meetings is an uphill battle. Focus on details becomes a chore. Driving becomes a challenge. At times, you will be on your way home from work, and not recognize the route you are taking. You will look around and think to yourself "this is not where I should be". It looks strange to you because you do not remember driving the last three miles as you have "zoned" out.

Alertness is not all that is impacted. Your energy is in the drink. Once upon a time, I ran 21 miles a week. Today, I can barely walk for 10 minutes. You see, being overweight is a long term affect of sleep apnea. Initially, I was just too tired to get up and go running in the morning. And that is when the weight gain begins. As you gain weight, your sleep apnea gets worse. As your sleep apnea gets worse, you have less energy and are exercising less. You gain more weight. With more weight gain, sleep apnea increases. You see how this works? Now throw in the depression due to weight gain and the comfort eating that accompanies it. Enter the devastating viscous cycle.

We all know what comes with, I'll say it, obesity; joint pain, heart disease, diabetes, stares, bad jokes and teasing. But let's stay on target. With sleep apnea, the stress and danger to the heart is twofold. If the danger of weight gain was not enough, what comes with not breathing is a drastic drop in blood/oxygen levels. The heart being a muscle, suffers from oxygen deprivation along with the rest of the body. Additional symptoms are high blood pressure, memory loss, headaches and even, shudder at the thought, impotency. And as far as your partner is concerned, the worse symptom of all- snoring.

Relax, all is not lost. First things first- see your doctor. After sharing your symptoms, do not be afraid to tell your doctor you think it may be sleep apnea. Ask for a sleep study.

A sleep study takes place in a center set up to monitor you while sleeping. A sleep study takes place at night, so it will not interfere with your work schedule. When you check in that night, they will hook you up to more wires than an over loaded surge protector. These leads will record brain activity, air flow from your nose, decibel level of your snoring, heart rate, blood flow, blood oxygen level, and even muscle movement for possible restless leg syndrome.

The technician's report to your doctor will diagnose if you have Obstructive Sleep Apnea- when the air way is blocked by relaxing muscle and tissue in your throat and sinus, Central Sleep Apnea- when your brain "forgets" to breathe, or a combination of both.

Once you have a diagnosis, you can begin looking at treatment options. Treatment can be as simple as adjusting the position you sleep in, as health conscious as exercise, to special equipment such as the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Machine or as aggressive as surgery.

Before jumping right to surgery, you need to understand that it is not a guarantee. There are many possible points through the airway, starting at the nose and ending at the trachea that may be the problem. And surgery can be extremely invasive. As simple as removing the tonsils to cauterizing the back of the throat, carving out excess tissue in the sinuses and throat. I have a friend this actually worked for. I had another friend that it did not.As of right now, I use the CPAP. I am contemplating the surgery. Talk to your doctor and find what works for you. Until then, sweet dreams.