Jew World Order

TUESDAY, May 29 (HealthDay News) — Millions of Americans plod
through each day exhausted. Not because they’re working too hard,
over-exercising or not taking enough vitamins.

The real reason, experts say, is because they unknowingly have a sleep
disorder.

As many as 18 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea, according
to the National Sleep Foundation. But researchers estimate that as many as
90 percent of them don’t know they have it.

Sleep apnea causes people’s airways to become blocked while they sleep,
depriving them of the oxygen the body needs.

Many people with sleep apnea are chronic snorers. Their partners
probably complain of loud snoring during the night, which may or may not
be accompanied by gasping or choking sounds. People with sleep apnea are
often startled awake many times during the night as the body becomes
starved of oxygen. Often, though, people don’t even realize that they’ve
briefly woken up.

However, it’s these numerous interruptions in sleep, though brief, that
can cause severe daytime sleepiness.

“It’s such a slow process that it can go on for years,” said Dr. Joyce
Walsleben, an associate professor of medicine at the New York University
School of Medicine in New York City. “People think, ‘Oh, I’m older, it’s
normal not to be as peppy,’ and they blow off their symptoms.”

Sleep apnea can be particularly difficult to uncover in women, she
said.

“Unfortunately, women don’t snore as much,” Walsleben said. “They tend
to report vague symptoms of not feeling well or having a sense of
depression or anxiety.”

The effects of too little sleep, however, can go beyond feeling tired
during the day.

“Besides a lack of energy and the byproducts of too little sleep, sleep
apnea can increase your risk of a car accident by as much as 15 times the
normal risk,” said Dr. Steven Park, an integrative sleep surgeon at
Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. “It also puts you at greater
risk of industrial accidents.”

In addition, he said, sleep apnea increases people’s risk for a host of
other ailments, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart
disease, heart attack, stroke and early death.

“I’ve seen estimates that life expectancy is lowered by 20 years if you
have untreated sleep apnea,” Park said.

What causes an airway to close during sleep can vary from person to
person. Obesity is a major risk factor because it narrows the airway. A
tongue that’s too large for the jaw can fall back and block the airway.
And, in some people, Park said, a narrow passage through the nasal cavity
or chronic allergies also can cause sleep apnea.

The standard way to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea has been to have
an individual spend a night in a sleep lab, where the quality of the
person’s sleep is monitored along with the number of episodes of apnea,
when breathing stops for 10 seconds or longer, or of hypopnea, when
breathing nearly stops. A sleep apnea diagnosis requires more than five
episodes of apnea or hypopnea an hour while asleep, Park said.

Today, though, at-home studies can be done, too, though Walsleben said
that home tests don’t give as much information as an in-lab sleep study.

But “for the vast majority of people,” Park said, at-home studies are
sufficient. “You have many less leads, and it’s much simpler and much more
conducive to sleep when you’re at home,” he said. People who have other
medical conditions, such as heart disease or nighttime leg movements, that
could mimic sleep apnea symptoms still should have a study done in a sleep
lab, he said.

Once diagnosed, doctors generally prescribe continuous positive airway
pressure, or CPAP, to treat sleep apnea. “A machine blows general positive
air pressure and keeps the throat open,” Park said, adding that the flow
of air can be adjusted so that it’s not too weak or too forceful. The
person usually wears a mask connected by a tube to the machine.

“CPAP is the gold standard in sleep apnea treatment, and people should
be encouraged to try it,” Walsleben said. “If one mask isn’t comfortable,
there are others you can try.” She said the machines have more options
these days, and options such as a heated humidifier can make the device
more comfortable to use. “It can take trial and error, but don’t give up,”
she advised. “Talk to your physician.”

Park agreed, saying that five to 10 common problems with CPAP can
usually be solved with just a little effort. “Some people love CPAP,” he
said, but noted that some others just never get used to it.

Other treatment options include dental devices that push the lower jaw
and tongue forward, and surgery if there are obvious airway issues, such
as a nasal blockage from a deviated septum. In children with sleep apnea,
Park said, removal of the tonsils often helps.

The bottom line, according to both experts, is that sleep apnea is
underdiagnosed and undertreated.

“Sleep apnea is more common than you suspect,” said Walsleben. “Snoring
isn’t something to just laugh about. You need to pay attention if your
spouse tells you you’re snoring.”

And if anyone has doubts, remember that the disorder can have
far-reaching effects, Park noted.

“A lack of quality sleep affects every part of your body and mind,” he
said. “People often get treated for other conditions caused by a lack of
sleep from apnea, like depression or high blood pressure, but you have to
treat the root of the problem.”

More information

The National Sleep Foundation has more about sleep apnea.

For more on the hidden health hazards of sleep apnea, read about one
woman’s tale of near death.