Psychological Aspects Of Sleep Apnea:Recognizing the Psychological Problems of Sleep Apnea
September 23, 2008
Introduction:
Sleep apnea –a very serious disease kills thousands and thousands of people every year. It can affect anybody without any regard to the age, gender or race of the person. The highest risk factor points to people who are above forty years of age and suffer from obesity. Sleep apnea can cause a variety of medical problems, but it’s also been shown to result in psychological ones as well.
What happens in sleep Apnea?
In sleep apnea the normal and continuous flow of oxygen is interrupted during sleep, the brain is deprived of this vital element and the person can experience debilitating effects. If the patient understands this situation completely then the psychological symptoms that accompany sleep apnea can lead to the proper treatment and a complete relief.
Why is Sleep Apnea Dangerous?
As mentioned earlier sleep apnea affects millions of people every year, many people are infact affected by it but are not aware of it. Basically, this condition causes a person to stop breathing during sleep. Throat muscles that relax too much and narrow the airways or even close the opening for a short time can cause this. The tongue can also fall back across the airway during sleep and this will affect breathing. The final result is the same: the brain is deprived of necessary oxygen that leads to further complications and problems.
A person suffering from sleep apnea generally has the habit of snoring and it is possible that it may be brain’s way of alerting the sleeper that the airway is blocked. The sound of the snoring may be too loud to let the other person sleep. Sleeping on the side instead of the back may decrease sleep apnea episodes.
Psychological Aspects of Sleep Apnea:
Apart from physical aspects of sleep apnea, the psychological are subtler in nature and need to be recognized and diagnosed accurately. The first symptom that we notice is that in this condition the person does not receive a proper night’s sleep. The body requires a certain amount of sleep to restore, repair and recharge the body’s major organs right down to the cellular level. If this doesn’t happen, the person will feel exhausted in the morning.
Secondly daytime drowsiness is also present, and this overpowering desire to sleep will stay with the person throughout the day. This will cause frustration and irritability, as the person needs to stay active and alert to perform routine activities.
Since the person does not get the required amount of sleep, the person may face problems with concentration and may witness loss of memory. All of these emotions will add up and contribute to a growing sense of depression. The person may even feel like they are losing their mind, as their ability to think clearly is reduced.
In extreme cases, the psychological problems of sleep apnea may include thoughts of suicide as the person may not get the required amount of sleep, the quality of his life deteriorates and thus these suicidal thoughts.
Medication For Sleep Apnea:
The medication for sleep apnea needs to be taken for the entire life, but it also depends upon the individual conditions and medical case history. Anti-depressant drugs are not effective in this case because the medical condition of sleep apnea needs to be diagnosed and effectively treated first.
Summary:
Timely Treatment Can Save Life. So do not treat this disease lightly. Immediately have it checked and start the medication as prescribed. Help is available once the right diagnosis is made and hopefully, with the right treatment and medication you would be able to fight this problem square on.
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