Imagine you are in deep sleep and suddenly you start having trouble breathing? Sleep apnea is a condition that can turn your peaceful nights into nightmares. In this condition, the person’s breathing stops for a few seconds while sleeping. This not only disturbs your sleep, but over time it can also have a negative impact on your heart, brain and other organs. Let us understand this serious problem in simple words from Dr. Manisha Mendiratta (Director and Head – Pulmonology, Sarvodaya Hospital, Sector-8, Faridabad).

What exactly is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep- disease in which a person’s breathing stops for a few moments while sleeping. This interruption may last from a few seconds to a few minutes. Due to this the quality of sleep reduces significantly. If it is not treated, it can have adverse effects on the heart, brain and other organs of the body.

Why does this disease occur?
Both our lifestyle and physical structure can be responsible for this problem. Its main reasons include:

Physical causes: Obesity, thick neck, loose throat muscles, or enlarged tonsils.
Health problems: Diseases like thyroid can also be the reason.
Bad habits: Smoking and drinking alcohol increases the risk of this disease.
Genetics: Sometimes this disease also occurs due to family history.

How to identify the symptoms?
Often, patients themselves do not know that they suffer from sleep apnea. Usually only their family members or partners notice it. Its main symptoms are:

snoring loudly while sleeping
sudden breathing pause during sleep
Waking up repeatedly at night
Headache and feeling of heaviness in the head after waking up in the morning
Feeling very sleepy and tired throughout the day
Difficulty concentrating on any task

treatment and prevention
There is no need to panic; It can be controlled by timely diagnosis and treatment. These measures can be effective in avoiding serious consequences like high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes:

Lifestyle changes: Lose weight and eat a balanced diet.
Avoidance: Completely stay away from alcohol and smoking.
Use of a machine: On your doctor’s advice, you may use a special breathing machine called a CPAP machine.
Surgery: In certain cases, it is also treated with surgery. Doctors say that you should not ignore sleep apnea at all, because good sleep is the foundation of good health.