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Sleep Apnea
Why in the News?
Philips has fixed its faulty sleep therapy devices in India to assess sleep apnea.
Digging Deeper: Philips assured that their current testing indicates no significant health risks from continued use.
Sleep Apnea
Symptoms
- Choking at night
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Morning headaches
- Difficulty concentrating
- High blood pressure
- A dry mouth upon waking.
- Sleep apnea is a common condition in which breathing stops and restarts many times while sleeping.
- This can prevent one’s body from getting enough oxygen.
- Causes: Obesity, older age, a narrow airway, a misaligned jaw, and lifestyle choices such as alcohol consumption and smoking.
Treatment:
- Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices: It blows air into the airway to keep it open during sleep.
- Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) devices: It offers two pressure settings which can automatically switch between an inhalation pressure and a lower exhalation pressure.
- Oral appliances: Designed to keep the throat open.