Sleep apnea leads to deterioration in the quality of life and sleep in individuals and increased anxiety in their relatives. Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Neurology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin emphasizes that treatment should be started without delay, especially for those with heart disease, regarding sleep apnea, which occurs when the patient's breathing stops, obstructed and forced during sleep.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Neurology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Baris Metin draws attention to the importance of early intervention by stating that sleep apnea significantly affects the life of the person.
There are many symptoms
Stating that the number of respiratory stops varies according to the severity of the disease, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin said, "Respiratory stops occur during sleep in the disorder we define as sleep apnea. The number of stops per hour is of great importance for physicians. People with the disease experience obstructions while breathing in and out during the night, this is mostly said by the relatives of the individual. While relatives share problems such as breathing stops, obstruction, loud snoring, difficulty in breathing, patients have complaints such as waking up too much at night, headache in the morning, excessive fatigue and falling asleep during the day. Individuals with sleep apnea snore very loudly."
Sleep apnea leads to obesity
Stating that sleep is a vital process and that mental and metabolic functions are impaired when quality sleep is not achieved, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin said, "In addition to hypertension and heart diseases, factors such as concentration disorders, insomnia and depression cause sleep apnea. Sleep apnea causes obesity in individuals, no matter how much they diet, they cannot lose weight. This condition is more common in obese individuals with more fat in their neck areas. In terms of children, we can say that especially those with tonsils and adenoids are at risk. Since the child's breathing is blocked, he/she cannot grow and his/her school success decreases. It is necessary not to neglect the treatment of this condition in children. When we look at men and women, sleep apnea is slightly more common in men. We can also consider women with thickening in the neck areas at risk."
Sleep apnea has different stages
Stating that sleep apnea has mild, moderate and severe stages, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin; "When the number of respiratory arrest is between 5 and 15, we describe it as mild, between 15 and 30 as moderate and over 30 as severe. When it is mild, the patient's relatives realize the situation less. We had a patient who woke up frequently at night even though he did not have severe sleep apnea. He went to many doctors, was given sleeping pills and could not find a cure for his problem. When we treated him, he got rid of this discomfort and started not waking up. We see problems such as waking up at night and not being able to sleep in our mild and moderate patients."
We record their sleep
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin continued as follows: "If the discomfort is mild or moderate, especially if there is a stenosis, surgical treatment is in question. Surgical intervention is more preferred in children. If there is a condition that blocks the adenoid and throat passage, removing it causes it to expand. In device treatment, air is supplied to the throat through a tube, thus ensuring that the airway remains open. Although it may seem uncomfortable, its presence is not felt after a few nights of use. People also come with sleep problems. We often encounter complaints such as 'I sleep constantly during the day, my wife says I choke while sleeping'. In such cases, we attach electrodes to the muscles and legs where respiratory movements are made in the sleep laboratory and record sleep. We apply treatment according to the results."
Causes death in sleep
Stating that sleep apnea causes blood pressure, heart failure and sudden death in sleep when left untreated, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin said, "Especially patients with blood pressure and heart failure need urgent treatment. Sleep apnea can lead to diabetes. It is possible to treat this with diabetes medications, but since the main problem is sleep apnea, no definite result can be obtained. People with sleep apnea cannot lose weight with diet, but it is possible to lose weight after treatment. After treatment, we see patients who reduce their sugar medication, stop their blood pressure medication and lose weight. The treatment should not be neglected because it has a serious negative effect on the person's cardiovascular system and metabolism."
