According to MayoClinic.com, sleep apnea is considered a serious medical condition with potentially dangerous complications. Apnea monitors are designed to collect valuable information from apnea sufferers to facilitate their treatment. They are also used to monitor infants at high risk of apnea.
Apnea Basics
Apnea is a short cessation of breathing. Sleep apnea is a condition where you stop breathing for five to 20 seconds periodically while you are sleeping. Obstructive apnea, the most common type of sleep apnea, occurs when your breathing is partially blocked during sleep. It is caused by a variety of factors, including obesity, a neck size of over 17 1/2 inches, a narrow trachea or some form of malformation or scarring in your throat or nasal passages.
Central apnea occurs when your brain fails to send signals to your breathing muscles. Central apnea most often occurs as a result of heart disease, but can also occur in premature infants. Some people, including infants, have a mixture of both obstructive and central types of apnea.
Apnea Risks
According to MayoClinic.com, sleep apnea can cause daytime fatigue, irritability and depression. Beyond that, sleep apnea causes sudden and repetitive drops in blood oxygen, which can strain your heart and put you at a two to three times greater risk for hypertension. If you have sleep apnea and a weakened heart, you may be at a risk of going into sudden cardiac arrest. Sleep apnea is especially dangerous if you are anesthetized for surgery, so make sure your doctor is aware of your condition.
Apnea Monitor Function
An apnea, or cardiorespiratory, monitor is a device that uses sensory wires and a memory recorder to measure a number of your vital functions during sleep. It monitors and records the occurrence and duration of each apnea episode, if any, along with your air flow, chest movements, heart rate, breathing rate and blood oxygen levels.
Benefits
The information recorded from an apnea monitor can be used by medical professionals to determine the severity of your apnea and to decide on the best course of action. Monitors can also help prevent brain, heart and lung problems that can occur from low blood oxygen levels. If you are the parent of an infant at a high risk of apnea, an infant home apnea monitor can give you peace of mind, as they are equipped with alarms that sound during an apnea episode or a sharp decline in blood oxygen levels.
Cautions
If you are using an infant home apnea monitor, be sure the belt is correctly placed on your child. Check the device frequently to make sure it is properly connected. Do not sleep in the same bed with your child, as your movements could disconnect the electrodes or trigger a false alarm. Be aware that false alarms are possible.
If your baby has an episode of apnea that occurs along with a change in color, change in muscle tone, choking or gagging, call 911 immediately. According to KidsHealth, your child may be experiencing a apparent life threatening event (ALTE). ALTEs are frightening, and though not always dangerous in and of themselves, they can indicate a condition that needs immediate treatment.
