Mr. Trinh Van Tuan, 45 years old, has been snoring for many years. He was cured after being treated with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine at Tam Anh General Hospital.
Mr. Tuan said that in recent years, he started to have the phenomenon of sleeping with his mouth open, snoring loudly with gasping sounds, and relatives observed short periods of apnea while sleeping. He often felt tired and lethargic when waking up in the morning, and was sleepy during the day and had difficulty concentrating.
At first, he thought snoring was normal, and he had been suffering for many years, so he tried to endure it. However, seeing his wife and children losing sleep because of the loud snoring, he decided to go to Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi for a check-up.
Associate Professor, Dr. Chu Thi Hanh, Head of the Respiratory Department of Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, said that through a polysomnography, the doctor concluded that he had very severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), accompanied by a decrease in blood oxygen saturation during sleep, sometimes dropping as low as 49%.
"There are many treatment options for the disease, but for severe cases like Mr. Tuan's, using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is one of the most effective treatments today," said Associate Professor Hanh. The CPAP machine creates an air flow with just enough pressure to keep the upper airway open, preventing the throat muscles from sagging, narrowing the airway, leading to snoring and sleep apnea.
The doctor instructed him to use a ventilator every night while sleeping at home. After the first night, his wife and children reported that his snoring had decreased significantly, and he slept better and no longer woke up in the middle of the night.
Thanks to the ventilator's remote connection mode, doctors can monitor and evaluate the patient's effectiveness at home and make adjustments when necessary. After 2 months of using a ventilator while sleeping, combined with weight loss and exercise, Mr. Tuan no longer snores.
"At first I was not used to it so I found it a bit inconvenient, but once I got used to it I found it very comfortable. I am satisfied because I can sleep well and no longer cause trouble for my wife and children," said Mr. Tuan.
In another case, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien (56 years old, Nghe An) had been snoring for many years, had light sleep, woke up often at night, and had to urinate many times at night. The patient had underlying high blood pressure and diabetes but they were not well controlled. Through a respiratory polygraph, the doctor discovered that she had severe obstructive sleep apnea. After using a CPAP positive pressure ventilator at home, Ms. Lien slept better, no longer snored, slept deeper and more comfortably, and had stable blood pressure.
According to Associate Professor Hanh, both patients stopped snoring thanks to using a ventilator while sleeping, thereby helping to improve sleep quality and blood pressure index compared to before treatment.
Patients using continuous positive airway pressure ventilators at Tam Anh General Hospital. Photo: Tam Anh
Associate Professor Hanh said that about 75% of people who snore have sleep apnea, but very few patients are diagnosed due to subjective psychology, thinking that snoring is normal, not worrisome, so there is no need for examination or treatment.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a dangerous breathing and sleep disorder. It is characterized by episodes of apnea and decreased breathing lasting more than 10 seconds, leading to sudden awakening, possibly accompanied by decreased blood oxygen and loud snoring, causing sleep disruption. Instead of waking up in a healthy state like a normal person, the patient has headaches, fatigue, daytime sleepiness and loss of concentration, and is at risk of accidents at work and in daily life. If left untreated, the patient is at high risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and even sudden death while sleeping.
If snoring is simple and not accompanied by sleep apnea, the doctor will advise the patient to lose weight if overweight, exercise, quit harmful habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol or taking sedatives, and sleep on their side to reduce snoring...
In cases of snoring with sleep apnea, CPAP treatment is currently successful. Patients using CPAP at home under close remote monitoring by a doctor can reduce snoring by more than 90%, return the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) to normal, thereby reducing the risk of coronary artery disease and stroke complications.
"At Tam Anh General Hospital, 97% of patients stopped snoring after treatment with a ventilator combined with a scientific sleep regimen," Associate Professor Hanh said.
In some cases, doctors choose surgical treatment for snoring - sleep apnea, mainly in people who cannot tolerate mechanical ventilation or have abnormalities in the nasopharynx. Ear, nose and throat diseases that cause snoring are often deviated nasal septum, enlarged tonsils, low soft palate, narrow pharyngeal space or anatomical abnormalities in the maxillofacial region in children with congenital malformations... Tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, turbinate resection or uvula and uvula correction... can cure snoring in these cases.
Hoai Pham
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