Light - a Modern Sleep Problem
From childhood, we have been hearing our moms say "close your eyes and go to sleep!" Why do we exactly close our eyes? Because darkness is essential for sleep as the absence of light signals the brain that it is time to rest by secreting a sleep hormone called Melatonin. Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland only in darkness and this hormone is vital for relaxing the body.
After the advent of electricity, light has become a modern sleep problem as natural darkness has been replaced at night by artificial light, hampering sleep. Sleep deprivation increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, depression and even cancer.
Causes of sleep deprivation can include high stress, poor diet, alcoholism or even a sleep disorder like acid reflux, sleep apnea etc. Of these Sleep apneas is most prevalent with over 100 million people suffering from it worldwide! Sleep apnea treatment is vital for maintaining good health and should be treated by consulting a good ENT hospital.
Sleep apnea and snoring
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder with a fitful breathing which starts and stops often. Obstructive sleep apnea(OSA) is a condition where the throat muscles relax and cause a partial or complete obstruction of airways.
Obstructive sleep apnea is often accompanied by snoring. Snoring is caused due to the vibratory movement of the throat muscles due to the obstruction of air while breathing in sleep.
Snoring Treatment
45% of normal adults snore occasionally and 25% are habitual snorers. Snoring problem is frequent in males and obese people and often worsens with age. A cure for snoring can be found by
- Lifestyle changes like reduction of weight, abstinence from alcohol and cigarettes, changing sleep position to sideways etc.
- Orthopaedic Pillows to support head and neck and prevent jaw opening.
- Dental appliances like Mandibular advancement splits for lowering the jaw and pulling the tongue forward to prevent snoring
- CPAP - a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure mask placed over the nose or mouth to keep the airway open by pumping a controlled stream of air.
- Surgery-UPPP-Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty to widen the airway by removing tissue at the back of the throat.
Sleep Laboratory
An expert ENT hospital will have a well -equipped Sleep Laboratory with investigative tools and diagnostic equipment to identify the causes of sleep deprivation. The patient is asked to sleep in a pre-arranged, normally looking bedroom set up with all the diagnostic equipment within. Then polysomnography is conducted to analyze the sleep pattern of the patient. This is a specialized test to identify the sleep disorders like sleep apnea, narcolepsy, seizures, parasomnia etc.
Only very few professional ENT hospitals in India have Watchpat Polysomnography.
Watchpat Polysomnography is the latest medical equipment used to analyze the quality of sleep. This portable diagnostic device uses the tension of the tangential arteries to identify whether there is a blockage or shortness of breath even while the patient is asleep. It is much preferred for its infallible accuracy in its readings and extreme user-friendliness and ease of operation. Since Watchpat testing can be done in the convenience of the patient's own bedrooms, this device has proved to be a blessing in disguise for those patients who are unwilling to spend a night at the hospital. It is however advised to use the Watchpat Polysomnography device after a consultation with the ENT specialist.
"Sleep is nature's own medication to relax and rejuvenate our body. Silence your sleep problems by consulting the best ENT hospital in India and sleep well!"
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