Many sleep disorders affect different people at different ages. These diseases present with different but related symptoms. The most common feature is an effect on the patterns of sleep of the patients. It is proper that both the patient as well as his or her family is aware of the expected symptoms and effects once an individual is diagnosed with any sleep disorder. Therefore, family health education is a crucial tool in the awareness creation among the family members. The focus of this paper is to highlight the signs, symptoms, treatment, and complications of certain mental disorders.
Sleep Apnea caused by Obesity
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious and common sleep disorder that affects breathing during sleep. An individual with obstructive sleep disorder stops breathing repeatedly for approximately 10 seconds or even more during sleep (Borer, 2011). As a result, oxygen deficit is created in the brain making patients awaken briefly during the night. The disorder has several causes that have been studied. The most common cause is obesity as well as excess weight. In obese or overweight individuals, sleep apnea is linked to soft tissues of the throat and the mouth. The tissues have the potential to close down the airway especially during the night when mouth and throat muscles are relaxed.
In children, the condition is associated with the enlargement of adenoids or tonsils as well as certain dental conditions including large overbite. It is also associated with growth or tumor in the airways and congenital birth defects such as Pierre-Robin syndrome and Down syndrome. In Down syndrome, the adenoids, tongue, and tonsils are enlarged. Muscle tone in the upper region of the airway also decreases (Pack, 2011). An individual with Pierre-Robin syndrome tend to have a tongue that falls to the backside of the throat during sleep. Obesity as a cause of obstructive sleep apnea is less common in children as compared to adults.
One of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea is extremely loud snoring. It is usually loud making bed partners uncomfortable. Other symptoms may include daytime sleepiness that is persistent, awakening of the sleeper during sleep due to shortness of breath, persistent headaches, and dry mouth immediately after waking up in the morning hours (Pack, 2011). The most commonly used method for diagnosis is a sleep study that is conducted in a sleep laboratory or through home sleep studies that give definite diagnoses. An untreated OSA may lead to serious short as well as long-term effects. These include or entail high blood pressure, stroke, depression, diabetes, weight gain, headaches, and impotence.
Several interventions that can be used to alleviate the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea exist. They include weight loss, and surgical procedures that reduce enlarged sections of the mouth or the throat, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) as well as positional therapy. The most commonly used intervention is weight loss in obese patients. A decrease in weight is linked to the alleviation of certain symptoms of OSA. In positional therapy, patients are always encouraged to sleep on their sides rather than the back or stomach (Borer, 2011). Surgery is considered the last option in the control of the symptoms. In surgical operations, the excess fat or tissue in the mouth and throat region is extracted leading to the freeing airway from obstructions.
Restless Leg Syndrome caused by Sleep Deprivation
This sleep disorder affects mostly adults. Deep-seated paresthesia (DSP) that are unpleasant are the most common characteristic of the disorder. The patients often have an uncontrollable urge to move their legs or walk in an attempt to relieve the pain or discomfort. Most of the symptoms occur at night when the patients are ready to go to bed (Surani & Subramanian, 2011). The sensations are always described as arching, tingling, burning, and crawling by patients. The jerking of the leg, as well as the tingling sensations, usually awakens the patient several times at night. This continuous awakening worsens the disorder leading to more pronounced symptoms. The main cause of this disorder is sleep deprivation that is believed to be genetic. More than fifty percent of RLS patients report a history of the disorder in their families. Other causes include renal insufficiency, folate deficiency, as well as iron deficiency anemia (IDA).
Interventions used in the alleviation of the effects of restless leg syndrome are mostly non-invasive. These symptoms are considered as behavioral sleep medicine. They include the elimination of certain medications that are known to exacerbate or cause restless leg syndrome, maintaining healthy diet and body weight, physical activity, taking hot water baths before going to bed, as well as taking a brief walk before bed time. Sleep hygiene is one of the most commonly used interventions (Treas & Wilkinson, 2013). It involves avoiding nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol towards bedtime. Physical activity as well as maintaining healthy body weight is known to reduce the constant jerking of the legs. Some of the drugs that are believed to exacerbate RLS are dopamine-blocking agents (DBA) and serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRI).
Obstructive Sleep Apnea caused by Traumatic Brain Injury
Most patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience certain sleep disorders in different degrees. The brain is a vital organ in the sleep process. Any injury to it (brain) has a potential of affecting sleep patterns. These distracted sleep patterns caused by traumatic brain injury tend to be more severe when compared to other sleep disorders (Levin, Shum, & Chan, 2014). When the body lacks enough sleep, the brain's healing process is interrupted. This can result in several other complications of the brain leading to low quality of life for the patient. Early diagnosis of obstructive sleep disorder in traumatic brain injury patients is essential since it can affect brain recovery in several ways. Most athletes who have sustained brain injuries usually report disturbed sleep during their recoveries.
Inadequate sleep caused by traumatic brain injury results in a decline in cognitive ability as well as irritability. These can affect the normal functioning of the brain. When brain function is impaired, the whole body can be affected. The symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea caused by traumatic brain injury include memory loss, depression, poor delivery regarding daytime activities, drowsiness, as well as irritability (Silver, McAllister, & Yudofsky, 2011). Diagnosis of sleep apnea in traumatic brain injury patients is difficult since injuries that affect the brain also affect some of its functions such as control of sleep. Therefore, it is essential that the diagnosis is properly done. This would ensure that correct interventions are put in place to eliminate or reduce the effects of the disorder.
Most interventions used for this type of disorder are usually non-pharmacologic. They include reduction of drugs that exacerbate sleep disorder, physical activities, proper use of sleep hygiene methods, as well as treatment of the brain injury that causes the sleep disorder. Certain drugs used for the treatment of brain injuries are believed to affect brain functions regarding sleep. Other effective drugs that have minimal effect on the brain can replace these drugs. To reduce the effect of these disorders, it is essential to treat the underlying cause. In this case, traumatic brain injury. Sleep hygiene practices such as avoidance of alcohol or coffee before bedtime are also effective.
Early diagnosis of these sleep disorders is essential for quick and proper interventions. These disorders have severe consequences on the brain and should be tackled properly. This can help save the brain of its cognitive functions. Therefore, family education is an important aspect that should be included in the clinics website.
References
Borer, J. S. (Ed.). (2011). Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults. Basel: Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers.
Levin, H. S., Shum, D., & Chan, R. C. (Eds.). (2014). Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury: Current Research and Future Directions. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Pack, A. I. (Ed.). (2011). Sleep apnea: Pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Silver, J. M., McAllister, T. W., & Yudofsky, S. C. (2011). Textbook of traumatic brain injury. Virginia: American Psychiatric Pub.
Surani, S., & Subramanian, S. (2011). Sleep and Safety. United Arab Emirates: Bentham Science Publishers.
Treas, L. S., & Wilkinson, J. M. (2013). Basic Nursing: Concepts, Skills, & Reasoning. Philadelphia: FA Davis.
