An increasing slackening of the respiratory system leads to a restriction or temporary suspension of the air flow when inhaling.
This condition became known as Apnoea (Greek “still air”).
In this situation, breaks in breathing can be observed during sleep. The break in breathing is registered in the brain of the sleeper and overcome by a waking reaction (arousal). This arousal reaction is vital and protects the sleeper from suffocating. However, sleep is disturbed by the arousal reaction, since a transition from a deep sleep stage to only a superficial sleep takes place.
The quality of sleep is disturbed for patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.
This affects the mental state of the patient during the day. A patient with obstructive sleep apnoea has an inclination to tiredness and falling asleep, particularly in monotonous situations (watching television, driving on the motorway, as a passenger in a car, in the theatre, etc.). In particularly severe cases, the patient cannot be prevented from falling asleep during the day (sleep obligation).
As a result of the reduction of sleep quality, severe mental problems can arise changing the mood of the patient, ranging from bad temper up to depression.
Other symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea are:
- decreased efficiency
- lack of concentration
- headaches
- attacks of dizziness
- personality changes
- sexual malfunctions (impotence)
- night sweating, urge to urinate during the night (bedwetting in children)
- hypertension
Approximately 60% of the patients with obstructive sleep apnoea also suffer high blood pressure problems at the same time. The high blood pressure is, at first, only at night, but later also by day and is permanently too high. Obstructive sleep apnoea can be regarded as a cause of unexplained hypertension.
Further consequences of untreated obstructive sleep apnoea are:
heart rhythm disturbances, increased risk of cardiac infarct, apoplexy, depression, etc. Patients can avoid serious and subsequent illnesses by an early diagnosis of the illness which can be simply treated. The frequency of obstructive sleep apnoea is estimated at 1-2% of the population (1-2 million patients in need of treatment in the Federal Republic of Germany).
Do you have a sleep associated problem at the moment?
Please answer these questions where necessary:
- Do you snore?
- Have breaks in breathing been noticed while you slept?
- Do you feel that you have not had enough sleep?
- Are you tired during the day?
- Do you spontaneously fall asleep in boring or monotonous situations?
- Do you spontaneously wake up at night?
- Do you suffer from headaches?
- Do you have hypertension?
If you have answered “Yes” to more than three question, you should consult with us or another specialist.
A frequent cause of increased daily tiredness, with an inclination to fall asleep, and forgetfulness are nightly breaks in breathing. This illness is called “obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome”. It is estimated that 800,000 to 2 million patients in the Federal Republic have obstructive sleep apnoea. There are a number of ideas for treatment in order to avoid the constriction of the throat, (which is a tube of muscle), however, only a few have turned out to be effective.
ADENTICS Anamnesis
ADENTICS Anamnesis anti snore (PDF, 152 KB)
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