Problems Associated with Sleep Apnea During Surgery
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People suffering from sleep apnea have a hard time to breathe while sleeping. Apnea is Greek for "without breath". There could be many causes for your sleep apnea so it's important to discuss it with your doctor to get it diagnosed. With sleep apnea, you can actually stop breathing for as long as ten seconds and it usually happens because brain signals that control breathing are interrupted or because the throat muscles relax enough that the airway narrows.
Many patients don't even realize what is causing their symptoms and that makes it hard to diagnose. Daytime drowsiness, snoring, headaches and even a sore throat are included in the symptoms. Many people don't even notice them and they may be just temporary.
If you are considering having any type of surgery, you should find out if sleep apnea puts you at any other risk. Anesthesiologists need to be aware if there is an added problem of sleep apnea as it could be a major concern.
Are You at Risk for Perioperative Sleep Apnea?
A questionnaire needs to be completed by patients in order to evaluate their risk for perioperative sleep apnea. An anesthesiologist will conduct an interview with the patient to see if there are any possible risk factors for perioperative sleep apnea.
Because the patient is put to sleep for surgery, the throat muscles relax causing perioperative apnea to occur. This will be a major concern. If the doctor is aware of any previous problem with sleep apnea, he will monitor closely to avoid any complications.
A patient at risk for perioperative sleep apnea will also need to be closely monitored after the surgery to make sure that their throat doesn't swell causing them to stop breathing. A Continuous Positive Air Pressure machine may be used to keep the airway open. This machine pumps oxygen straight into the airways through a mask that is placed over the patient's nose. The constant pressure keeps the airway open and oxygen flowing appropriately.
If a patient does have some signals that perioperative sleep apnea will be an issue, the proper medical responses can be put into place to prevent any problems during surgery. Be honest in your interview with the doctors so that they are aware of any potential problems.
About the Author
Are you wondering what is sleep apnea? Get more information about the condition and some of its cures and treatments on the Apnea Guide website at www.ApneaGuide.com
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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