According to records, at least seven million people in our country suffer from a disease known as sleep apnea. It is precisely the famous streamer Ibai Llanos, who is in the midst of physical change, who spoke about it recently because he is one of those who suffer from it.
It’s a disease more common and serious than you think. Thus, Apple has introduced the possibility of detecting it with its Apple Watch and in a non-invasive way and without practically having to do anything other than sleep with sleep mode activated.
What is sleep apnea and how many are there?
Apnea is a sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing stops during sleep. There are also two types of sleep apnea. The most common is known as OSA (obstructive sleep apnea)) and occurs when the throat muscles relax excessively and the airway narrows, causing breathing to stop for a few seconds until a sharp inhale is taken.
On the other hand, there is what is called central sleep apneawhich is not as common, but is just as or more dangerous. In this case, the brain does not send the appropriate signals to the muscles responsible for breathing. The problem is therefore not an obstruction of breathing, but rather a lack of communication between the mind and the body.
Likewise, although sometimes people who suffer from it can wake up with shortness of breath, this is not always the case. Here is the major problem with sleep apneathat we are not always aware that we are suffering.
It must be said that these dreams could also end increase the risk of other diseases such as hypertension, cardiac events, type 2 diabetes, as well as stroke.
Why does sleep apnea occur and what are the symptoms?
Some people have to sleep with a mask connected to a special machine if their sleep apnea is severe (Image: CinfaSalud)
Although it is true that there can be several reasons for sleep apnea, the most common origin is in people who suffer from or have these habits:
- People who are overweight or obese.
- People with tonsils (especially children).
- Anatomical shape of the throat which hinders air circulation.
- People suffering from nasal congestion and/or breathing problems.
- Consumption of alcohol, medicines or drugs that relax the throat muscles.
Likewise, the main symptoms are loud snoring, interrupted breathing, panting, or a feeling of choking at night. Suffering from these symptoms is not an indication that you have sleep apnea, but it is an important indicator. Even more so if it is something frequent.
How sleep apnea detection works on Apple Watch
The latest generation Apple Watches have a series of sensors thanks to which they are able to record our respiratory activity. And this, combined with the measurement of other constants such as heart rate, can prove decisive in the detection of sleep apnea.
To do this, the Apple Watch You must have sleep mode active at night and also to have a little patience. And it needs measurements from different nights to send a diagnosis, so it won’t detect sleep apnea accurately until it has data from at least 30 days (with five days it already warns of risks and displays certain values).
In the ‘Watch’ application on the iPhone we must have the option to monitor sleep with the watch activated, as well as activate ‘Rest’ mode on the Apple Watch
So, just as the Apple Watch can alert us when our heart rate is very high or very low, it can send notifications about possible sleep apnea. If it doesn’t detect anything strange, it won’t send anything.
It must be said that you can also obtain this information from the iPhone ‘Health’ application. You will have to go to the tab Explore and see the “Sleep apnea notifications” section.
What you won’t find is an app for sleep apnea. And that’s it There is no specific application for Apple Watch like there are pulses or electrocardiograms. After all, that would be absurd, given that it’s not something that can be measured manually at any time.
Which Apple Watch models detect sleep apnea
Image: Javier Lacort for Xataka
Currently, only the latest two generations of Apple Watches are capable of recording and sending notifications of possible sleep apnea.
How to treat sleep apnea
We must begin by saying that It is always advisable to consult a specialist doctor. First of all, confirm that you do suffer from sleep apnea, which is tested with a polysomnography, more commonly called “the sleep test”, which consists of spending a night in a monitored hospital room in order to know with certainty. certainty whether one is suffering or not.
Polysomnography is performed in hospitals and detects sleep apnea (Image: Geomedica)
It is important to emphasize this because Despite the effectiveness of the Apple Watch, it does not offer medical diagnosis. As the term itself suggests, this is something that doctors themselves must confirm. Yes, you can go to a consultation and report back what the Apple Watch showed you and even view the reviews that appear in the iPhone’s “Health” app, as this is a necessary starting point.
If it is confirmed that you have a certain type of sleep apnea, treatment may vary. Generally speaking, you will be recommended to eat a balanced diet, as well as exercise to prevent these problems. In the most severe cases, you may need to purchase a CPAP, this is what the machines capable of controlling sleep apnea at night are called to prevent us from running out of oxygen.
In other cases This can also be done through surgery.. It is not the most common and will only be in certain cases where the apnea is severe, but once again we stick to the opinion of the doctors and the diagnoses they make in each case.
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