Sleep apnea impacts your life and your work – your source of income can be in peril. Such adverse effects such as decreased psychological acuity or inattentiveness can have serious effects on your life or the lives of others. Other situations can be dangerous, such as falling asleep on the steering wheel while driving. If you experienced it, you should visit an ENT or an ear, nose, throat specialist in Singapore to avoid falling into similar situations.

Sleep apnea influences millions of people around the world with at least 15% of Singapore’s local population being affected by it according to research conducted. If you have rest apnea and know it, you need to be treating it with the help of a doctor as it can significantly affect your health in the long run mental and physical-wise. From anxiety to depression; from hypertension to heart problems. Going to a local ENT doctor in Singapore can immediately grant you proper treatment.

Sleep Apnea Among The Local Populace

According to medical reports, the populace that is mostly affected is obese/overweight middle-aged males than females, physiology-wise. People with extreme weight need to manage regular episodes of paused breathing. Snoring is a common issue with the overweight and gasping for air while sleeping can also be a problem among them. It causes changes in oxygen for the heart that affects the circulation of blood. Hence, untreated obstructive sleep apnea can cause heart problems.

Apart from the mentioned primary symptoms, sleep apnea can also induce headaches, irritability, lower sex drive and increased heart rate. Other worse symptoms that can be related to sleep apnea are anxiety and depression. The sad reality of sleep apnea in Singapore continues where several people suffer from depression and other psychological conditions that are brought by sleep apnea or lack of better sleep.

Signs & Impact

Sleep apnea means that you stop taking a breath when you are resting for brief seconds (around 5-10 seconds) and it can occur multiple times (more than 25) per hour. In some serious cases, there are even times where people who have sleep apnea may go to a 1-minute breathing gap.

Think about it, if you pause your breath in 60 seconds and do it more than 25 times an hour, you’ll understand its heavy implication to our health. As we mentioned earlier, your heart is affected by sleep apnea due to oxygen level change. Your blood oxygen level drops and in extreme cases, you might go into respiratory dysfunction. The worst thing that could happen is death, it is why one should never ignore or overlook sleep apnea. Even if you doubt if you have one, an ENT doctor in Singapore can help you with the diagnosis and confirm.

Each time you quit breathing your brain signals you to wake so you can return to normal breathing. You might not get up fully but when you do wake up, you are not getting good rest and you will awaken tired. Sleep apnea makes you work hard to get a little sleep.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

If you only have a moderate form of rest apnea a local ENT doctor in Singapore may advise you to utilise oral devices such as masks and CPAPs that relieve a blockage in your airway. Some of these devices may hold down your tongue or change your sleeping position for a better flow/airway breathing while you sleep. You need to wear a mask that fits over your nose and/or mouth, which is attached to a device that supplies air while you are sleeping so your airway stays open while avoiding the risk of suffocation.

You might be urged by your ENT doctor as well to educate yourself to develop a routine to sleep on your side. Using a rolled-up blanket behind your back can help prevent you from rolling onto your back which is a big NO when you have sleep apnea.

In some severe cases, an ear, nose, throat specialist may recommend surgical treatments to remove a blockage in the airway. Blockages can either be adenoids and tonsils, therefore, removing them will permit even more space in the airway passage. Allowing you to breathe back to normal.

The variables that are considered for treatment and diagnosis for sleep apnea in Singapore are a person’s medical history, condition level, and the particular cause for the obstruction. Some treatments additionally incorporate lifestyle change, staying clear of alcohol and other substances (such as food and drugs) that can affect your body and nervous system.

Various other ways of lifestyle changes are losing weight and aversion to smoking and alcohol abuse. The weight problem is the greatest lifestyle concern because a majority of affected individuals are often overweight and have difficulty adjusting their sleeping position.

Conclusion

Sleep apnea can impact your life. The simple but often annoying sound of constant snoring can ravage your physical and mental health. You are prone to the risk of hypertension, heart attack, anxiety, and depression due to poor oxygen levels to circulation and lack of proper sleep and energy. Treatment is essential by going to a local ear, nose, throat specialist who can offer you the options and recommend certain methods to help treat sleep apnea so you can get a normal and healthy sleep habit.

For a localENT doctor in Mount Elizabeth, ENT Surgeons provide expert and scientific healthcare treatment for sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. Visit ENT Surgeon for more info.