Effects and Treatments of Sleep Apnea In The Elderly
Sleep apnea in the elderly is not a rare problem.
The ironic thing about it is that older people who are suffering from sleep apnea in many cases have their breathing halt for up to two minutes, many times a night.
While for younger sufferers stops for a few seconds only.
What the breathing stops? The reason is because the body fails to get the required amount of oxygen.
Due to interrupted sleep cycles throughout the night, the elders may feel drowsy in the middle of the day and they usually take a nap.
These are natural side effects of sleep apnea.
Are There any Health Dangers Yes, elderly individuals suffering from sleep apnea are at risk for some of these health risks which include stroke, heart attack, irregular heart beat, and high blood pressure.
A few studies have linked this problems with being overweight while loud snoring with sleep apnea and physical irregularities in the nasal passages.
The Treatments 1) Physical blockage in the nasal passages requires simple surgery for an immediate cure if you are suffering from sleep apnea in the elderly.
2) By wearing a mask at night that forces air down through the nasal passages have relief many patients suffering from sleep apnea in the elderly.
This devise is called a CPAP.
Its usefulness is to provide adequate amounts of oxygen to the body.
However, the negative effect of having to wear a mask to bed every night is quickly compensated by the unexpected boost of energy level experienced the next day, especially in the afternoon.
3) The final treatment for the patient who is seriously overweight will consist of diet and exercise.
Even though this may be the least expensive treatment, it is also the most difficult one to implement.
The Effect On Your Partner The ironic thing about it is its effect on their partners.
The partner is not getting enough sleep at night because they are the one subjected to the noise, while the sufferer has disturbed sleep due to the fact that they wake up a few times throughout the night.
If you look at this both of them are victims.
So they both tend to be rotten and irritable in the morning, afternoon, and evenings.
The ironic thing about it is that older people who are suffering from sleep apnea in many cases have their breathing halt for up to two minutes, many times a night.
While for younger sufferers stops for a few seconds only.
What the breathing stops? The reason is because the body fails to get the required amount of oxygen.
Due to interrupted sleep cycles throughout the night, the elders may feel drowsy in the middle of the day and they usually take a nap.
These are natural side effects of sleep apnea.
Are There any Health Dangers Yes, elderly individuals suffering from sleep apnea are at risk for some of these health risks which include stroke, heart attack, irregular heart beat, and high blood pressure.
A few studies have linked this problems with being overweight while loud snoring with sleep apnea and physical irregularities in the nasal passages.
The Treatments 1) Physical blockage in the nasal passages requires simple surgery for an immediate cure if you are suffering from sleep apnea in the elderly.
2) By wearing a mask at night that forces air down through the nasal passages have relief many patients suffering from sleep apnea in the elderly.
This devise is called a CPAP.
Its usefulness is to provide adequate amounts of oxygen to the body.
However, the negative effect of having to wear a mask to bed every night is quickly compensated by the unexpected boost of energy level experienced the next day, especially in the afternoon.
3) The final treatment for the patient who is seriously overweight will consist of diet and exercise.
Even though this may be the least expensive treatment, it is also the most difficult one to implement.
The Effect On Your Partner The ironic thing about it is its effect on their partners.
The partner is not getting enough sleep at night because they are the one subjected to the noise, while the sufferer has disturbed sleep due to the fact that they wake up a few times throughout the night.
If you look at this both of them are victims.
So they both tend to be rotten and irritable in the morning, afternoon, and evenings.
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