Elderly Sleep Apnoea

What is Sleep Apnoea?

Elderly Sleep Apnoea. Sleep Apnoea is a dangerous condition that causes people to stop breathing while they sleep. So then, it’s a sleep disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Also, breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Older Adults

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common clinical condition associated with obesity. And a high prevalence of sleep apnoea exists in the elderly, presumably because of changes in oropharyngeal collapsibility. Elderly patients may be less likely to seek medical attention for this condition because they are less likely to be symptomatic.

Excessive daytime somnolence (sleepiness) is a known consequence of untreated OSA. But adverse cardiovascular effects, such as hypertension, arrhythmias, and congestive heart failure, are more severe in older patients. Although compliance remains an issue, continuous positive airway pressure therapy is the most effective treatment of OSA.

Review of OSA in the Population

Elderly Sleep Apnoea. In a systematic review they aimed to determine the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in older adults. Substantial methodological heterogeneity in population prevalence studies, caused a wide variation in reported prevalence, which, in general, is high. the overall population prevalence ranged from 9% to 38% and was higher in men. It increased with increasing age and, in some elderly groups, was as high as 90% in men and 78% in women. 

Diagnosis

Elderly Sleep Apnoea. Screening questionnaires can be used to assess for sleep apnoea, although their accuracy is limited. The diagnostic standard for obstructive sleep apnoea is nocturnal polysomnography in a sleep laboratory. Home sleep apnoea tests can be performed for certain patients but are generally considered less accurate.

Treating OSA Using CPAP

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure is the standard treatment for (OSA). And it helps to keep these pauses in breathing from occurring. The machine delivers pressurised air through mask and tubing that acts as an air splint to keep your throat and other oral tissues from collapsing. 

Wearing

Wearing your CPAP mask is important because it’s how the machine is able to do its work. Since the relaxed muscles blocking the airway can go limp during sleep, the pressurized air is able to open the airway, allowing the CPAP wearer to breathe without obstruction, so oxygen can be delivered to the lungs.

Using

When using a CPAP machine, your muscles are no longer blocking the flow of oxygen. As a result, you won’t repeatedly wake up to resume breathing or gasp for air. Ideally, you’ll wake up feeling more refreshed and energized as you continue with your CPAP therapy, though this isn’t the case for everyone. Whether you notice the results or not, however, treating sleep apnoea with a CPAP machine will still benefit your overall health.

Home remedies for sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea refers to the sleep disorder which results in the interruption of people’s breathing during the night. These interruptions may happen repeatedly during sleep and each pause can last for 15-20 seconds. Sleep apnoea may inhibit you having a proper sleep at night since it can interfere with the natural sleep rhythm. Thus, you can experience less deep sleep and more light sleep, which leads to some ill effects such as less productivity, low energy and decreased mental alertness during daytime.

Symptoms

Some main symptoms of sleep apnoea are sleepiness during daytime, gasping or choking during sleep, pauses in breathing, loud snoring. And headache the next morning, restless sleep, waking up with the dry or sore throat and mouth. Also, inability to properly concentrate, depression, mood swings and irritability. Hence, there exist some risk factors leading to sleep apnoea including obstruction in your nasal passage, smoking. Additionally, enlarged tonsils or tongue, excessive alcohol consumption and the like. However, if you leave it untreated, it can lead to more serious symptoms such as heart disease. And high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke.

Fortunately, you can utilize natural treatments to help you get rid of sleep apnoea safely, cheaply and effectively at home. In this article, AllRemedies.com will share with you 27 home remedies for sleep apnoea in adults. So then, hopefully, these solutions can work well with your condition. However, this article is only informational, not for educational or medical purposes. Therefore, you should consult the doctor prior to utilizing them. in case you get sensitive or allergic with any ingredient of any treatment. Moreover, if it persists, you should visit the doctor for more advanced treatments.

In Conclusion

Sleep apnoea–related deaths per year The American Sleep Apnoea Association estimates that 38,000 people in the United States die each year from heart disease with sleep apnoea as a complicating factor. So then, if you have any symptoms, do not ignore them, get them checked by your doctor.

Important Note *

Remember that everyone is different, and it is ultimately YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to find what your body responds to. So please do your due diligence before trying anything new, including getting Medical Advice to ensure your safety and peace of mind.

Connect with me and leave a comment or two on my social media.