Q. I have excessive daytime sleepiness. Why and how to treat it?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

You have obstructive sleep apnea. Please say about other symptoms whether you had snoring, interrupted sleep, unrefreshed sleep, and morning headaches. If you had these symptoms, it supports the diagnosis. It is a condition characterized by obstruction of upper airway especially during sleep due to narrowing of airway due to obesity.

Obstruction of upper airway leads to temporary stoppage of respiration, increased sympathetic drive, and increased pulse rate. Also, another reason for pulse rate rise is deconditioning as you are not accustomed to activities.

You can do ENT examination if you have nasal stiffness, and recurrent tonsillitis to rule out the nasal causes of obstruction. You can also do a thyroid function test, lipid profile, sugar, Hba1c, vitamin D, and polysomnography. Polysomnography is a sleep study used to confirm the diagnosis and to know the extent of the disease. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) is needed.

You have to reduce weight. It is the first line of treatment. You need to have low fat, and a low-calorie diet to lose weight. Secondly, CPAP is a mask and device, and the pressure during inspiration and expiration during sleep keeps your airways patent and avoid this from happening. Also, regular exercise is essential. Chest physiotherapy and yoga will be helpful. So you can follow these steps, or you can visit a nearby sleep specialist or pulmonologist.

Same symptoms doesn’t mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Sagar Ramesh Makode

Experience: 10 + Yrs

Cardiology

---

Related Questions:
How can hypercapnia be prevented in a TB patient under oxygenation?

.. said, the patient has TB, hypoxia is more common which leads to type 1 respiratory failure. So only supplemental oxygen is not enough. We should start noninvasive ventilation as early as possible before hypercarbia sets in.   Read full

My daughter was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. Please help me.

.. daughter is having apneic spells, it is better to consult a doctor soon to get treatment. The different causes for obstructive sleep apnea are enlarged adenoid, enlarged tonsil, enlarged turbinates, deviated nasal septum, or a large tongue.   Read full

Why am I devoid of quality sleep?

.. that you might have developed some sleep issues mounting for insomnia. As you have mentioned that you are using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and your apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is well maintained, this sleep issue might be related with   Read full