Do you snore? Bir Hospital’s ‘sleep lab’ could help you!
Professor Dr Toran KC
Kathmandu Medical College
Professor Dr Toran KC with the Kathmandu Medical College says that while snoring itself might not be a problem, it might be a symptom to a bigger health problem. "Snoring is a noisy breathing because of the partial obstruction of upper airway," he says, "and it could be a symptom of a bigger problem, sleep apnea." While not all snorers are sleep apneics, all sleep apneics are snorers.
There are other ways to determine if someone is suffering from sleep apnea. They have to look out for the following symptoms.
- Is the person obese?
- Does he have a short or pointed neck?
- Do they suffer from fatigue all the time, and are never fresh during the day time?
- Do they respond slow and lack of concentration?
The symptoms are usually divided between adults and children. At a pediatric age, people don't really have that kind of problem in Nepal. But in those who do, they have large tonsils, adenoids, which cause obstruction. "Doctors try to determine whether a person suffers from hypertension. We know that the patients are diabetic, suffer from irregular heart problem, and have excessive weight," he says.
There are three kinds of sleep apnea that patients may suffer from. The first is central, which is caused due to problem in brain. The second is peripheral, which is also called obstructive sleep apnea. It happens usually in the children, and is caused by tonsils, adenoids and thick neck. The third is mix sleep apnea, which could have both brain and obstructive causes.
There are several ways to deal with sleep apnea. "It's easier to figure out the problem in the children, as we can detect the large tonsils or the adenoids. In those cases, we can even see the size of the tonsils and it's easier to figure out how to deal with it. For children, if it's too problematic, we suggest a surgery to remove the tonsils. But it's harder with the adults," he says.
In adults, several tests are conducted to confirm which apnea it is. "The main method is sleep study. The technology is called polysomnogram (PSG). Tracings of tests, which show the oxygen saturation, muscle movement, brain activation and heart rate are looked to determine the sleep apnea. After that, we know the degree of sleep apnea as well," he says.
People usually underestimate these symptoms, but it is essential that you adopt a major lifestyle changes for the sake of your health. "The easiest method is to lose weight. We don't see sleep apnea in slim and thin people. We suggest them to consult a dietician, who can advise them on exercising and eating well. This is not a disease, this is a symptom. We don't treat it aggressively. We give them time to lose weight. If they want, they can lose weight, if not, they will have to brace for graver consequences," he says.
But the best way is to definitely adopt a healthy lifestyle, so that you can nip the problem in the bud, which is nothing less than a silent killer. "It's better if people become more health conscious," he says.
