Sleep apneais a condition that causes people to stop breathing during sleep.
Anesthesiais a common treatment used before surgery to keep a person asleep during the procedure.
Sleep apnea can make anesthesia a lot riskier.
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This article explains how anesthesia can affect people with sleep apnea, both before and after surgery.
It discusses the risks they may face and how healthcare providers evaluate those risks.
The intermittent breathing interruptions can disrupt sleep throughout the night.
General anesthesia relies on a combination of different medications to put people to sleep for surgery or other procedures.
While under general anesthesia, people are entirely unconscious.
They do not feel pain and are unaware of what is happening.
General anesthesia can suppress upper airway muscles.
This means it can reduce breathing, slow down your breathing rate, and decrease oxygen levels.
For this reason, general anesthesia can be dangerous for people with sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea can also make it harder to wake up from surgery and take breaths.
Bring your notes with you to your appointment.
Sleep apnea can also make waking up from surgery more difficult.
Sleep apnea during surgery also puts people at a higher risk for cardiac or respiratory issues during surgery.
It can increase the need for intensive care treatment following surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is possible to die while sleeping if you have sleep apnea.
A CPAP machine or oral appliance can reduce sleep apnea symptoms, but they cannot cure it.
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doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2015.09.13
American Society of Anesthesiologists.General anesthesia.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep apnea.
Sleep Foundation.How weight affects sleep apnea.
