4. What Are Some Of The Anatomic Causes Of Sleep Apnea?

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Adrianne Barnett College Reading 2 March 12,2012 10 questions about Sleep Disorders 1. What causes sleep disorders? There can be many causes of sleeping disorder. Some medications may encourage them. Bad habits can cause many sleep problems. Health issues of all kinds can effect sleeping. Lack of exercise or stress are common problems as well. 2. How does alcohol affect sleep? Alcohol is a depressant. While it may relax you and help you fall asleep, it also disrupts the normal sleep cycle. Alcohol reduces the time spent in REM sleep and the metabolism that clears it from your body when you are sleeping causes a withdrawal syndrome. This withdrawal causes awakenings and is often associated with nightmares and sweats. 3. How could…show more content…
What are some of the anatomic causes of sleep apnea? Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may similarly be related to obstruction along the airflow pathway. Common oral sites include the tongue base, soft palate, uvula, mandible (jaw), and tonsils. Nasal and nasopharyngeal sources may also play a role. Specifically, the adenoids, septum, and inferior turbinates should all be carefully evaluated. More inferiorly, the soft tissues of the neck may be predisposed to collapse and obstruction. 5. What are some of the other health issues related to sleep apnea? In terms of lifestyle issues, some studies have found an association between the presence of OSA and erectile dysfunction in men. Untreated OSA may also lead to hypertension, coronary artery disease, memory impairment, stroke, and adult onset diabetes. In one study, snoring was found to be associated with elevation in blood glucose markers, potential signs of impending diabetes. 6. How much sleep does a person need? The amount of sleep required varies by individual and by factors including age. Children and adolescents, for example, typically need more sleep than young and middle-aged adults. The average adult needs anywhere from 7 to 8-1/2 hours of sleep per…show more content…
Overweight, middle-aged men, who are more susceptible to sleep apnea. Children and adolescents, who experience more incidents of sleepwalking than other groups. 8. How is sleep affected by health problems like heart disease or a stroke? Sleep can vulnerable to heart disease and a stroke. The interrupted oxygen intake causes abnormal heart rhythms causing heart disease and struggling to breathe cab cause blood pressure to spike as high as 240 mmHg, increasing the stroke risk. 9. What is sleep apnea? This is a chronic condition where an individual has pauses in breathing or has abnormally low breathing during sleep. The pauses are called apnea and can last from a few seconds to several minutes. 10. What are some different types of sleep disorders? Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. Sleep apnea is a temporary suspension of breathing (10 or more seconds) that occurs repeatedly during sleep. Narcolepsy is unexplained sleepiness at inappropriate times despite adequate nighttime sleep. Restless Legs Syndrome is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs and an irrepressible urge to move the legs when resting to relieve these
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