Physicians reminded that although obesity is a risk factor for respiratory apnea, the risk should not be ignored because of the BMI standard.

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[Reporter Wu Liangyi/Taipei Report] Mr. P, who is of standard build, suffers from high-frequency intermittent suffocation at night. After ultrasonic smart sleep testing, the risk value of sleep apnea is as high as 92%. Further examination at the sleep center found that he stopped breathing every hour. and hypoventilation as high as 73 times, which is already a severe abort disorder; doctors remind that sleep apnea is not exclusive to obese people, and it is easy to be complicated by various chronic diseases and social risks caused by fatigue if not properly treated.

According to statistics, about one million people in Taiwan suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSAs), but the prevalence rate of diagnosis is only 0.49%. In addition to the lack of awareness of the disease, the poor accessibility of the current examination methods is also a major reason.

Many people think that snoring is simply "too tired", or that sleep apnea is only for obese people.

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Huang Zhaoxun, a specialist in otolaryngology at Harvard Health Clinic Fuying Clinic, explained that OSAs is a high-risk sleep disorder. During sleep, the laryngeal tissue relaxes and collapses, resulting in narrowed airways and snoring. In severe cases, breathing air cannot enter the lungs, causing apnea The blood oxygen is reduced or even suffocated. Once the blood oxygen is too low or the carbon dioxide concentration is too high, the human body will be forced to wake up by the brain stem, and the sleep deprivation will be repeated dozens to hundreds of times per hour without consciously.

Because it occurs during sleep, OSAs are easy to be ignored. According to statistics, 77% of snoring patients are not sure whether they are snoring, and 23% of patients even firmly believe that they do not snore.

Huang Zhaoxun reminded that sleep time is out of proportion to daily energy. Brain fog during the day, nocturia, awakening at night, obesity (BMI>30), over 40 years old, men or women after menopause, smoking, drinking habits, and family history are all Risk factors for OSAs.

Huang Zhaoxun added that a major reason for the low prevalence of sleep apnea diagnosis in my country is that it is limited by current examinations, such as the hospital sleep center that checks physiological sleep and checks PSG. The process usually takes more than half a year, and the process from seeing a doctor, arranging, reading a report to arranging treatment is cumbersome, which is inconvenient for ordinary office workers.

Another home sleep test "HST" used at home is more convenient, but the test cannot be standardized, and it is prone to human error, which reduces the public's willingness to test.

Huang Zhaoxun pointed out that through the latest automated respiratory ultrasound examination, AI ultrasound throat examination can be completed within 15 minutes in a waking state to analyze whether it is simple snoring or sleep apnea. Through immediate treatment, the burden and harm to the body can be reduced, and the repeated trips between clinics and hospitals can be reduced.

Studies have confirmed that obstructive sleep apnea can increase the risk of complications such as myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, heart failure, stroke, and even sudden death.

Huang Zhaoxun added that in addition to physical health threats, sleep quality will also directly affect the spirit and mood, resulting in drowsiness, headaches, and decreased work efficiency during the day. Even due to lack of energy, the risk of accidents while driving vehicles or operating dangerous equipment increases. .

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keywords

  • obesity

  • snoring

  • sleep apnea

  • Home Sleep Detection

  • Automated Respiratory Ultrasound Examination

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