If you suffer from sleep apnea, you need to understand the danger of sleep apnea and anesthesia. Thus, the negative effects of anesthesia can be reduced or even eliminated with the appropriate procedures and cautious monitoring.

What Should I Do If I Will Have Surgery?

If you will have surgery, you must tell the anesthesiologist that you have sleep apnea so he will aware of your condition. The anesthesiologist then takes a certain precautionary measures to assure that breathing difficulties will not put you in danger when have anesthesia.

In Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), the throat muscles relax and finally closing or narrowing the airway. Therefore, the oxygen will not be able to flow to the lungs, which affects the brain. A signal will be send to the sleeper to wake up with one intention which is to breathe again. However, under anesthesia, it is impossible to wake up. Besides, the presence of anesthesia actually contributes to more frequent occurrences of interrupted breathing spells.

By knowing that the patient has sleep apnea, special care will be taken to keep the airways open. Intense monitoring will be done, both in surgery and in recovery room.

The effects of anesthesia cannot be vanished as soon as the surgical procedure is finished. So, a diligent care must extend to the patient during this time. A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine may be used to ensure the airways remain open and continuously it supplies oxygen to the patient’s lungs. Mechanical ventilation may be provided in severe cases, but this is rare.

So many people don’t realize that they have sleep apnea. This can cause complications if they have a surgery. If you are not sure you have this sleep disorders or if you suspect that you do, ask these simple questions to slyourself.

Do you snore?
Do you always feel exhausted and groggy in the mornings?
Do you fall asleep during the day?

If your answer is “yes” to those questions, you should see your doctor about the possibility having sleep apnea. Diagnosing sleep apnea before having anesthesia is important to avoid unwanted complications.

Tags : danger of sleep apnea and anesthesia, sleep apnea and general anesthesia, sleep apnea anesthesia

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