Below is list of health problem that we often encounter suffered friend or close relative, perhaps even by ourselves. In traditional medical we would think that these diseases are caused by dietary factors or lack of exercise. But the latest discoveries in health has found that sleep disturbances during sleep can cause dangerous diseases. Although not all snoring is dangerous. Snoring and excessive sleepiness are two main symptoms of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea, which means stop of breathing during sleep, can have a direct impact on the health and quality of life. Sleep apnea occurs when muscles in the airway relaxes during sleep. As a result, the airway narrows until it clogs so there is no air can pass. Episodes of stop of breathing can occur for 10 seconds to more than one minute. Because of tighness, the brain will wake up for a moment to draw breath, unwitting sufferer. As a result, the sleep so fragmented and the patient will feel sleepy during the day. Stopping breathing can happen hundreds of times in one night. Periods of stopping breathing caused drastic changes in oxygen levels and blood pressure person. If sleep apnea left, your body will continue to be overburdened and could eventually lead to many diseases.
Here are 8 health risk associated with sleep apnea:
1. High Blood Pressure
Various studied have shown that sleep apnea is one of the main causes of hypertension. Increased blood pressure is directly related to the degree of severity of sleep apnea. The more severe degree of sleep apnea, the more weight also increases blood pressure. Increased blood pressure can also be experienced by children who suffer from sleep apnea. Since 2003 through the JNC 7 document (the Joint National Comitted on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure),they input sleep apnea as one of the main causes of hypertension. Since then, the treatment of sleep apnea is included in the goveranance of hypertension.
2. Heart disease
Untreated sleep apnea is one risk factor for heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America in 2005. Sleep apnea increases the risk of irregular heart rate, coronary heart disease, heart attacks and congestive heart disease. A study in 2006 that disclosed in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology says that sleep apnea affects even one's heart shape. Patient's heart with sleep apnea is swell and the wall is thicken at one side, and pumping ability is lower.
3. Stroke
Sleep apnea increases a person's risk of stroke (cause of death number 3 in America in 2005). Increased blood viscosity in patients with sleep apnea is a major cause of the increased risk of stroke.
4. Brain damage
Research in the Sleep Journal in 2008 gives an overview of brain image that proved irreversible damage to the brains of people with sleep apnea. Damage occurs in the brain that control memory, emotion and blood pressure.
5. Depression
Research shows that depression often occurs in people with sleep apnea. Even mild sleep apnea had an increased risk of depression. Increased risk of depression will increase along with increasing of severity of stopping breathing.
6. Diabetes
Sleep apnea will disrupt the metabolism, so body will not tolerate to the glucose nd also resistant to insulin. Diabetes type 2, also one of the major causes of death, occurs when the body can not utilize insulin effectively. Various studies have also shown that sleep apnea is likely to be the cause of diabetes. In June 2008 the International Diabetes Federation has issued a guide book to all health workers around the world to pay attention to the possibility of sleep apnea in patients with diabetes.
7. Obesity
Obesity, on race Caucasian (European) becomes a major risk of sleep apnea. But not so in Asian races that have structure over narrow jaw and a short neck. The problem, sleep apnea will improve a person's weight. Metabolic disorders due to fragmanted sleep casuses changes in hormones that control appetite. Sleepiness caused also cause sufferers to be lazy to exercise.
8. Death
Two research in the Sleep Journal 2008 showed that people with sleep apnea have a higher mortality risk than those who do not snore. The risk will increase along with increasing degrees of severity of stopping breathing. Moreover, if sleep apnea is left alone. While deaths from workplace accidents or traffic accidents must be also be considered. In Britain, local government will temporary hold the driver license of sleep apnea patients, until the treatment process. Handling sleep apnea begins with an examination bed in a sleep laboratory. A careful examination of sleep will distinguish ordinary snoring or snoring with sleep apnea. We can get the degree of severity and character of stopping breathing in a person. While the effect on sleep and brain waves during sleep, heart work was also analyzed. Treatment of sleep apnea can be done through several alternatives. Among surgery, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or dental appliances. In the meantime, the gold standard treatment is to use the CPAP, with a very high success rate. Various studies have shown that the use of CPAP will reduce a person's risk of suffering from dangerous diseases that have been mentioned earlier.
Article Source: www.kompas.com
