President Biden has sleep apnea. What is it and how is it treated?

March is National Sleep Awareness Month and there's *** hidden risk that you might not be aware of. It's sleep apnea. So we have Doctor Evan Temkin here to help us talk *** little bit more about this hidden condition. Doctor Tekin, thank you so much for getting up early with us. So I've heard sleep apnea *** lot, explain *** little bit to our viewers about what it is and who are most at risk here. Uh Sleep apnea is actually *** constriction of the airway during sleep where breathing is interrupted. Um People that actually pretty much everybody is at risk. Uh It does affect about 50 or more percent of the population. So who can actually test for sleep apnea? And why is it so important if you do test positive for this to get treated right away? Uh *** lot of implications with that, especially cardiac type implications. Um When you're not getting enough oxygen to the vital organs, your heart is going to start pumping harder and this will affect then the different seats that surround the heart, the muscle layers are there warning signs or even symptoms for us to be aware of about sleep apnea. Yes. Uh, some people will actually be told that they stop breathing in at night or they'll, you know, they call them witnessed apneas where, you know, your partner might say, well, you were gasping for air at different points. Even snoring is one of the symptoms of it. So now if you're familiar at all with sleep apnea, I think most people would first think of *** CPAP machine. But you've actually brought along this much smaller device. So can you explain to us what this is and how it works? Yes. One of the big problems with CPAP is compliance. It's uncomfortable to wear, it works. But again, people aren't gonna continue with it. This is *** sample of an oral appliance which will treat the apnea similar to CPAP in that what this does and if people want to. Yeah. Yeah. How is this different than like *** mouth guard? My dentist would give me because I get yelled at every time I go to get my cleaning done that I'm not wearing mine. So what this does is, uh you can see that there's an attachment between the upper and lower uh so that can stabilize the lower jaw and we actually position it *** few millimeters forward. And by doing that, that's going to open up the airway and now you can breathe freely on your own throughout the night. Now, if you want to say what, perhaps the biggest misconception about sleep apnea is, tell us what that is and debunk it for us. Well, *** lot of people have in their mind. Number one, that CPAP is the only way to treat it, which I would say we're probably treating *** whole lot more patients this way. Especially with that recall that went on with the CPAPs about *** year ago. Um, these work terrifically and it's much more comfortable. That's all you have to bring with you. I know it's easy. That's very easy. This can go in any direction whatsoever. Don't be afraid to get treated. Exactly. It, it makes things *** lot easier. Um, and besides treating the sleep apnea, these all that eliminate snoring as well. All right, Doctor Evan Tekin, uh, thank you so much for coming on this morning and braving the snow and the conditions to come and tell us about this this morning.

President Joe Biden is one of many millions of people who have sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder in which people stop breathing for 10 seconds or more at a time.Video above: Half the Population at Risk From Sleep Apnea, Says SpecialistIt’s estimated that at least 25 million American adults and 936 million adults between the ages of 30 and 69 worldwide may suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, with many more people undiagnosed.The condition is called “obstructive” sleep apnea because unlike central sleep apnea — in which the brain occasionally skips telling the body to breathe — obstructive sleep apnea is due to a blockage of the airways by weak, heavy or relaxed soft tissues.Muscle tone weakens with age, including in the soft palate and neck, making sleep apnea common among people older than 50, experts say. However, studies have found sleep apnea in the elderly tends to be of a mild to moderate kind, with the more severe cases occurring at younger ages.Biden’s getting treatmentIf left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea raises the risk of hypertension, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression and even an early death, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.The condition leads to dozens of “micro-awakenings” during the night that interrupt the body’s ability to complete a full sleep cycle. Symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness, loud, raucous snoring, waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat, and morning headaches, according to the Mayo Clinic.Video below: Expert discusses sleep disorders and optionsWith treatment, however, breathing returns to normal and deep sleep can be achieved. Weight loss can significantly decrease — or even eliminate obstructive sleep apnea, as the loss of tissue mass in the mouth, tongue and neck eases pressure on the airway. Doctors can also prescribe an oral appliance designed to enlarge the airway by moving the tongue or jaw forward.If anatomical issues, such as nasal polyps, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, or a deviated septum, are contributing to the apnea, surgery may be recommended. Mild cases of sleep apnea may respond to “positional therapy,” a fancy way of saying keeping sleepers on their sides instead of back during sleep, which can improve airway flow and reduce snoring.One of the most common treatments is a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP, which relies on a hose and mask to deliver constant and steady air pressure to keep the airway open while a person sleeps. Today the machines are so sophisticated that a physician can remotely monitor a person’s sleep and help them adjust the air pressure.The machines are thought to improve a number of complications associated with sleep apnea, including daytime fatigue, high blood pressure and sexual dysfunction, experts say. Why is deep sleep important?During the first and second stages of sleep, the body starts to decrease its rhythms. Doing so leads to the third stage — a slow-wave or deep sleep where the body is literally restoring itself on a cellular level — fixing damage from the day’s wear and tear and consolidating memories into long-term storage.Years of research have found sleep, especially the deepest and most healing kind, boosts immune functioning. Slow-wave sleep is also the time when the body “takes out the trash” in the brain, including the beta-amyloid protein, one of the hallmark signs of Alzheimer’s disease.Deep sleep is considered one of the best markers of sleep quality, because a person must typically have relatively uninterrupted sleep to achieve it. Since each sleep cycle is roughly 90 minutes long, most adults need seven to eight hours of relatively uninterrupted slumber to achieve restorative sleep, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.People with sleep apnea, however, can stop breathing 30 or more times an hour during the night, often wakening as they snore, snort or gasp for breath.The constant interruption makes it difficult to get enough deep sleep and progress to the final stage, called rapid eye movement or REM sleep, which is when dreams occur. Studies have shown that missing REM sleep may lead to memory deficit and poor cognitive outcomes as well as heart and other chronic diseases and an early death.Most people have no idea they are experiencing sleep apnea, which is why it’s important for loved ones to speak up if snoring is extremely loud or if a loved one stops breathing for short periods of time during the night. Anyone with symptoms of sleep apnea need to be evaluated by a sleep specialist.

WASHINGTON —

President Joe Biden is one of many millions of people who have sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder in which people stop breathing for 10 seconds or more at a time.

Video above: Half the Population at Risk From Sleep Apnea, Says Specialist

It’s estimated that at least and may suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, with many more people undiagnosed.

The condition is called “obstructive” sleep apnea because unlike central sleep apnea — in which the brain occasionally skips telling the body to breathe — obstructive sleep apnea is due to a blockage of the airways by weak, heavy or relaxed soft tissues.

Muscle tone weakens with age, including in the soft palate and neck, making sleep apnea common among people older than 50, experts say. However, have found sleep apnea in the elderly tends to be of a mild to moderate kind, with the more severe cases occurring at younger ages.

Biden’s getting treatment

If left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea raises the risk of hypertension, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression and even an early death, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

The condition leads to dozens of “micro-awakenings” during the night that interrupt the body’s ability to complete a full sleep cycle. Symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness, loud, raucous snoring, waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat, and morning headaches, according to the .

Video below: Expert discusses sleep disorders and options

With treatment, however, breathing returns to normal and deep sleep can be achieved. Weight loss can significantly decrease — or even eliminate obstructive sleep apnea, as the loss of tissue mass in the mouth, tongue and neck eases pressure on the airway. Doctors can also prescribe an oral appliance designed to enlarge the airway by moving the tongue or jaw forward.

If anatomical issues, such as nasal polyps, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, or a deviated septum, are contributing to the apnea, surgery may be recommended.

Mild cases of sleep apnea may respond to “positional therapy,” a fancy way of saying keeping sleepers on their sides instead of back during sleep, which can improve airway flow and reduce snoring.

One of the most common treatments is a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP, which relies on a hose and mask to deliver constant and steady air pressure to keep the airway open while a person sleeps. Today the machines are so sophisticated that a physician can remotely monitor a person’s sleep and help them adjust the air pressure.

The machines are thought to improve a number of complications associated with sleep apnea, including daytime fatigue, high blood pressure and sexual dysfunction, experts say.

Why is deep sleep important?

During the first and second stages of sleep, the body starts to decrease its rhythms. Doing so leads to the third stage — a slow-wave or deep sleep where the body is literally restoring itself on a cellular level — fixing damage from the day’s wear and tear and consolidating memories into long-term storage.

have found sleep, especially the deepest and most healing kind, boosts immune functioning. Slow-wave sleep is also the time when the body “takes out the trash” in the brain, including the beta-amyloid protein, one of the hallmark signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Deep sleep is considered one of the best markers of sleep quality, because a person must typically have relatively uninterrupted sleep to achieve it. Since each sleep cycle is roughly 90 minutes long, most adults need seven to eight hours of relatively uninterrupted slumber to achieve restorative sleep, according to the .

People with sleep apnea, however, can stop breathing 30 or more times an hour during the night, often wakening as they snore, snort or gasp for breath.

The constant interruption makes it difficult to get enough deep sleep and progress to the final stage, called rapid eye movement or REM sleep, which is when dreams occur. Studies have shown that missing REM sleep may lead to memory deficit and poor cognitive outcomes as well as heart and other chronic diseases and

Most people have no idea they are experiencing sleep apnea, which is why it’s important for loved ones to speak up if snoring is extremely loud or if a loved one stops breathing for short periods of time during the night. Anyone with symptoms of sleep apnea need to be evaluated by a sleep specialist.

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