CPAP Therapy and Sleep Apnea Treatment in St. John's

Are you concerned that you or your partner has sleep apnea? The American Academy of Sleep Medicine provides this definition:

“Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder that involves a decrease or complete halt in airflow despite an ongoing effort to breathe. It occurs when the muscles relax during sleep, causing the soft tissue in the back of the throat to collapse and block the upper airway. This leads to partial reductions (hypopneas) and complete pauses (apneas) in breathing that last at least 10 seconds during sleep. Most pauses last between 10 and 30 seconds, but some may persist for one minute or longer. This can lead to abrupt reductions in blood oxygen saturation, with oxygen falling as much as 40% or more in severe cases.

The brain responds to the lack of oxygen by alerting the body, causing a brief arousal from sleep that restores normal breathing. This pattern can occur hundreds of times in one night. The result is a fragmented quality of sleep that often produces an excessive level of daytime sleepiness.

Most people with OSA snore loudly and frequently, with periods of silence when airflow is reduced or blocked. They then make choking, snorting or gasping sounds when their airway reopens.”

Risk Groups

In helping to assess your risk for OSA, several factors increase your likelihood of developing the condition:

• Being overweight (Body Mass Index of 25 — 29.9) or obese (Body Mass Index of 30 and above)
  
• Large neck size — 17 inches or more for men; 16 inches or more for women
  
• Middle aged or older men; post-menopausal women
  
• Ethnic minorities
  
• Abnormalities of the bony and soft tissue structure of the head and neck
  
• Down Syndrome (adults and children)
  
• Children with large tonsils and adenoids
  
• Having a family member with OSA
  
• Endocrine disorders such as Acromegaly and Hypothyroidism
  
• Smoking
  
• Nocturnal nasal congestion due to abnormal morphology, rhinitis or both

Sleep Disordered Breathing 

More than 2 million Canadians suffer from sleep disordered breathing. Are you one of them? And if you are, is there reason for concern? Let’s investigate…

Sleep disordered breathing is a condition characterized by repeated episodes of hypopnea (under-breathing) and apnea (not breathing) during sleep. Sleep disordered breathing can cause temporary elevations in blood pressure, lowered blood oxygen levels and over time, sustained high blood pressure and other very serious conditions. It should not go undiagnosed or untreated.

The most common form of sleep disordered breathing in St. John’s and throughout Newfoundland & Labrador is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), reportedly experienced to some degree by about 30% of men and 20% of women. When OSA is present, the upper airway closes either partially or fully during sleep, while efforts to breathe are ongoing.

How do you know if you have OSA? 

• Chronic snoring and pauses in breathing, usually noticed by partners
• Disturbed sleep
• Frequent daytime grogginess
• Lack of concentration

Beyond a reduced quality of life and wellbeing, sleep disordered breathing can lead to many adverse health conditions. At HorizonAire, we offer tools to diagnose and treat your sleep disordered breathing in St. John’s and throughout the province. Talk to us now about how we can help you.

Home Sleep Screening Test

Take the first step to resolving your sleep issues! HorizoneAire makes it easy to complete an overnight sleep screening — right in the comfort of your home. Simply contact HorizonAire — our sleep screening diagnostic device can be used at home and will provide your doctor with the information needed to determine if you have a sleep disorder and what to do next.

Your results will determine if you have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and if so, to what degree:

• Mild OSA (AH1 of 5-15): Involuntary sleepiness during activities that require little attention, such as watching TV or reading
• Moderate OSA (AHI of 15-30): Involuntary sleepiness during activities that require some attention, such as meetings or presentations
• Severe OSA (AHI of more than 30): Involuntary sleepiness during activities that require more active attention, such as talking or driving

AHI refers to Apnea-Hypopnea Index, an average that represents the combined number of apneas and hypopneas that occur per hour of sleep.

ApneaLink Air Home Sleep Test Tutorial

Follow Up

As our slogan says, HorizonAire believes in Helping You Breathe Easy! With that in mind, we realize that close follow-up during the initial weeks of CPAP use is crucial for long term benefits. HorizonAire staff will be available to offer helpful compliance tips and to address any concerns you may have regarding your treatment.