Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

definition

Obstructive sleep apnea refers to repeated obstruction of the upper airway during sleep, which reduces or stops breathing through the mouth and nose. Asphyxiation occurs when the airway is completely blocked. Patients with sleep apnea usually suffer from severe snoring, but snoring does not mean they have sleep apnea.

symptom

Patients usually have the following symptoms:

• nighttime symptoms
  • Severe snoring, the snoring will stop intermittently, and then suddenly start louder again.
  • Breathe through mouth while sleeping
  • Awakening from sleep (half-awake or fully awake)
  • Feeling difficulty breathing and rapid heartbeat after waking up

• Daytime symptoms
  • morning headache
  • Tired during the day and prone to dozing off
  • Difficulty concentrating, slow reactions, memory loss
  • grumpy

Approach

• exercise, weight control
• Sleep on your side to reduce the chance of your tongue falling and blocking your airway.
• Use a positive air pressure ventilator to use air pressure to keep your airway open.
• Use a dental tray: Fix the lower jaw in a forward position to prevent the tongue from falling and blocking the airway.
• Surgery: tonsil and proliferative body removal surgery.