France has 15 million snorers including 3 million suffer from sleep apnea, a disease which forces 600,000 of them to spend their nights wearing a mask connected to a respirator, often to find peace within the couple.
Sleep apnea concerns heavy snorers who suddenly stop breathing, keep their mouth open for a few seconds, then resumed their snoring loudly. In some cases, this shutdown occurs two hundred times per night, for 45 seconds. Do the math: it’s been two and a half hours without breathing, which explains why these people are exhausted the next day.
Apnea is a serious cause of cardiovascular disease and especially drowsiness in traffic accidents – it is the third leading cause of accidents after speed and alcohol. German researchers have developed a simulator, a kind of video game that allows apneics to drive monotonously for 60 minutes, with a virtual average speed of 100 km / h, climatic conditions and various obstacles. The results showed that the untreated apneics had an average of nearly 3 accidents in these simulated driving sessions, and that they made 13 mistakes in concentration.
How do you know if you have sleep apnea?
It’s simple. First of all, if you live as a couple, “heavy snorers” are quickly detected, especially since one of the often hidden side effects are erectile dysfunction and deteriorating married life! These apneas almost exclusively affect overweight or obese people.
A recent study published in the journal The Ocular Surface confirms that there is an association between droopy eyelids and sleep apnea. The team of Dr. Charles Bouchard, ophthalmologist and researcher from Loyola University (Chicago), has indeed reported that 53% of patients suffering from sleep apnea had sagging and rubbery upper eyelids. The most severe cases of sleep apnea were associated with the most severe cases of droopy eyelids.
In case of embompointment and abnormal fatigue, especially in the afternoon, it is important to talk to your doctor who will ask for a sleep recording, during a night in the hospital, to make a diagnosis.
What treatment to treat sleep apnea?
There are no medications to deal with the problem apart from the often difficult to achieve weight loss. Two mechanical treatments give good results. The first is to use prostheses that are placed in the mouth at bedtime and that advance the jaw. But only 3 in 10 people can use them for technical reasons. The second treatment is to wear a nasal mask attached with straps and connected to a small machine, all night. The compressed air that we inhale thus prevents the walls of the back of the throat from coming together and causing respiratory arrest. Sleep becomes peaceful, thanks to this machine which ensures a continuous flow of air.
The German study cited above studied the effects on driving. And the results are clear: not only does attention and alertness improve within 6 weeks, but more importantly, driving performance precedes these improvements. The frequency of accidents decreases considerably from the start of treatment (less than one accident at 42 days) as does that of concentration errors (less than 5 instead of 13 before treatment). Badly accepted at first by patients, it quickly becomes essential.
As for the life of a couple, which is often the first brake on the decision, you should know that the machine is infinitely less noisy than the snorers. Especially since most of the time, these sleepless nights result in – when possible – the famous “separate bedroom” which also does not promote married life. An apneic is someone who is tired… therefore a poor companion. A few nights spent connected to the machine are usually enough to restore a certain vigor. Note that the treatment is covered by social security.
.
