Question by Julia: How do i cope with an epileptic who has sleep apnea?My partner was recently diagnosed with epilepsy. After witnessing all three of his seizures I'm pretty scared. He also has sleep apnea which is the main cause of his epilepsy. At this point, I'm too scared to sleep. Considering he had his seizures in his sleep and he always stops breathing and the twitching I'm so terrified. How do I cope with this. I haven't slept in weeks. I know he gets annoyed with my constant worry so could someone please help me?
Best answer:Answer by praveen musafer
Sleep is one of those things that is absolutely necessary for people to live full and healthy lives. It is supposed to be a source of rest as well as a way to repair the body to take on the activities the following day. However, there are some people who do not experience the kind of slumber others do. One of the disorders that is associated with sleep is a condition known as apnea seizures.
Basics
Sleep apnea is caused by the body's inability to breathe properly during sleep. This can be caused by various factors such as obstruction of the air passages. When this occurs, the person has trouble breathing and the sleep is disturbed. Another cause for sleep apnea is the inability of the central nervous system to perform its function of regulating breathing properly. When this occurs, one of the symptoms that can manifest is seizures. The signs of seizures can range from feeling disoriented to involuntary muscle movement.
Epilepsy
Sleep apnea and epilepsy are two medical conditions that are often connected by their tendency to exacerbate the manifestation of each other. When a person experiences sleep apnea, the person is deprived of sleep because he or she tends to wake up at various times. The constant lack of sleep can decrease an epileptic patient's ability to fight off the occurrence of a seizure. On the other hand, the medication taken to treat epilepsy has side effects that affect the respiratory functions of the central system as well as relaxing the air passages. Thus, this can cause a predisposition to sleep apnea. Both of these conditions tend to cause seizures for people.
Evaluation
Apnea seizures can happen to anyone and at any particular point. However, there are some people who are more prone to experiencing it. For example, apnea more commonly occurs in men. People who snore or are overweight also have a higher risk of experiencing apnea seizures. The reason behind this is that they are the ones who have more trouble getting enough oxygen in their systems while they sleep.
Effects
Sleep apnea seizures can take a major toll on the body. People who experience involuntary movement while they sleep tend to wake up tired and without energy in the morning. A headache is also most likely to set in. Besides the inconvenience of exhaustion, the effects of apnea seizures can also be life-threatening. The deprivation of sleep over prolonged periods of time can cause cardiac arrhythmia, or the irregular beating of the heart.
Treatment
Doctors recommend an overall healthy lifestyle when it comes to lessening apnea seizures. Weight loss and regular exercise is needed because it will help the body regulate the oxygen it uses. Thus, the cause of sleep apnea, which is abnormal respiration, can be eliminated or lessened. In some extreme cases, surgery may be resorted to in order to tear sleep apnea and the seizures that accompany it. A procedure called the tracheostomy, which involves the removal of any obstructing uvula, can be performed.
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