Myths about Sleep Apnea

                 

 Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts while the patient is asleep.  Snoring is one of the symptoms among patients with sleep apnea.  Many people snore but do not have sleep apnea.  Some people have sleep apnea but do not have the symptom of snoring during their sleep at night.  Studies show that 1 in 5 adults in the United States suffer from some forms of sleep disorder.  Are overweight, middle-aged males more likely to have sleep apnea?  Is sleep apnea more common with the elderly?   Many people are misinformed about what sleep apnea is all about.  Here are some common myths about sleep apnea:

Myth #1:  If you snore, you have sleep apnea

Fact:  Snoring is one of the symptoms among patients with sleep apnea. But snoring does not mean a person suffers from sleep apnea.  Snoring occurs when something blocks air from flowing freely through the nose and mouth.  When breathing occurs, the walls of the throat vibrate and cause the snoring sound.  These are some of the causes of snoring:

·       Swollen tonsils and adenoids that block the airways

·       Being overweight, the fatty issue in the neck puts pressure on the airways

·       Growths in the nasal passages (nasal polys)

·       Nasal congestion, stuffy nose from a cold or allergies

·       Alcohol consumption before bedtime reduces the resting tone of the muscles in the back of the throat.

It is important to check with the physician to have a proper diagnosis of the cause of the snoring and to rule out sleep apnea.

Myth #2:  I don’t snore, why do I have sleep apnea?

Fact:  Many people with sleep apnea do not snore, but exhibit other symptoms.  These are some of the symptoms:

·       Often wake up with a headache, a sore throat, or a dry mouth

·       Experience daytime sleepiness

·       High blood pressure

·       Gain weight, overweight

·       Experience irritability, mood swings, or depression

·       Insomnia

Myth #3:  Sleep apnea is most common in the elderly

Fact:  People of all ages, young or old, can suffer from sleep apnea.

·       Age has nothing to do with the sleep disorder

·       Children and young adults are just as likely to suffer from sleep apnea

-small children have enlarged tonsil tissues are at risk for sleep apnea

-children who are overweight are at risk for sleep apnea

-untreated sleep apnea may lead to mood problems, hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and poor school performances, angry and hostile behaviors

Myth #4:  Sleep apnea only happens to overweight, middle-aged men

Fact: Both men and women can suffer from sleep apnea

·       Sleep apnea is not exclusive to overweight, middle-aged men

·       Men are twice more likely to have sleep apnea than women, but men are diagnosed with the condition almost 8 times more often than women

·       Men and women sleep apnea symptoms are different

-men: over 40, overweight, snore loudly, larger neck circumference

-women:  snoring is usually much lighter, menopausal changes and ambiguous symptoms

Myth #5:  CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is the only option for treating sleep apnea

Fact:  CPAP is the most widely used treatment for moderate and severe sleep apnea, but it is NOT the only option for treating sleep apnea.  There are other options. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has approved oral appliance therapy (OAT) as a first line treatment for patients diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnea

·       CPAP- a small machine that supplies a constant and steady air pressure, a hose, and a mask or nose piece

·       OAT-fits like an athletic mouth guard, quiet, portable , comfortable and easy to wear

·       Surgery-increase size of the airway and reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea

Sleep Apnea is a serious medical problem for men and women of any age.  Dr. Anna Lee is a Glendora dentist trained to assess patients with sleep apnea.  If you have any questions about the myths of sleep apnea, contact Dr. Anna Lee for a FREE sleep apnea consultation.  

For more information, please visit our sleep website at www.glendorasleep.com or call office at 626-335-5114.

Some of the reasons women are under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed with sleep apnea may be:

·       Female patients talk to their general practitioner about their sleep problem instead of a sleep specialist.

      General practitioner has preconceived notions about what and how typical sleep apnea patient should be like. Example: male, overweight, snore loudly.

·       Female patients are less likely to report loud, chronic snoring.

·       

     Women’s symptoms are often different, NOT “classic”, and ambiguous

-snoring is usually much lighter

-breathing problems during sleep more subtle

·       Female patients report different symptoms than men that may lead to misdiagnosis of other disorders:

·       Some of the different, NOT “classic”, ambiguous symptoms:

-fatigue, insomnia, headaches, mood disturbances, anemia, hypochondria, hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia, depression, and menopausal changes

Glendora Dentist, Dr. Anna Lee, is a trained dentist in Sleep Apnea.  Visit www.glendorasleep.com

Women and Sleep Apnea

Typical Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) patients are usually men who are overweight and snore loudly with choking or gasping sounds at night.  There are over 20 million American adults suffer with OSA. While obstructive sleep apnea is more common in men, many women suffer from OSA as well.  Men are twice more likely to have sleep apnea than women, but men are diagnosed with the condition almost 8 times more often than women.   Are women with sleep apnea under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed? What are the symptoms and health risk factors of sleep apnea in women? What are the treatment options?

                  Under-diagnosis and misdiagnosis for women with sleep apnea

Women with sleep apnea are often diagnosed for other sleep disorders instead of sleep apnea. According to the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Specialist, Dr. Angie Randazzo, at St. Lukes Sleep Medicine & Research Center, “Women often don’t have the stereotypical body type and don’t always say they are sleepy.  Many will say they are fatigued, leading clinicians to think they have insomnia versus OSA.”

For more information on sleep apnea and women, contact Dr. Anna Lee and her team!