Sleep apnea: what it is, what the treatment is, and how technology helps in this case

This is the new wearable from the Cupertino company, a smart watch that reduces its thickness, increases the size of its screen and incorporates more health-related features.

He smart watch It is part of a package that includes the Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The presentation also featured the new series of iPhone 16.

But what is this new function about? Dr. Marcela Abarca, head of the Otorhinolaryngology Service at the International Clinic, indicated that it is a breathing disorder that “It is characterized by pauses that may occur during breathing, or shallow breathing during sleep”.

“It is usually associated with snoring in some patients, it will lead to poor rest, poor quality of sleep in people who will be drowsy, tired, fatigued and can lead to other types of pathologies”the specialist indicates to The Trade.

According to a report from Apple, sleep apnea can lead to an increased risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes and heart problems.

In this regard, the specialist considered that devices such as the Apple Watch can be of great help in the early detection of this disorder, especially because they are in the line of preventive medicine.

“As long as we can prevent pathologies or detect them in time, everything is welcome. And those new devices with artificial intelligence that are coming out, that measure your blood pressure, that measure your heart rate, some can evaluate your respiratory rate, can be a warning sign”explained Dr. Abarca to this newspaper.

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Medical tests and the Apple Watch

Detecting sleep apnea involves several processes. It requires a series of tests, and the Apple Watch Series 10 could be part of them.

According to the American firm, the measurements are made using the accelerometer to detect small movements of the wrist associated with interruptions in normal breathing patterns during sleep.

“Every 30 days, Apple Watch will analyze data on breathing disorders and notify users if there are signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea, so they can talk to their doctor about next steps, including a possible diagnosis and treatment.”explains the company about this feature.

The user could obtain a PDF document showing the tracking for consultation with their doctor. Sleep apnea notifications have already been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to Dr. Marcela Abarca, the most commonly used procedures for detection include polysomnography. This test is performed at night, the patient sleeps in a specialized clinic and the patient’s heart rate, oxygen levels, breathing pattern, eye movements are monitored, an electroencephalogram is performed and snoring and body movements are also evaluated.

“Normally, the patient will also be filmed and with this we will be able to obtain greater definition, a complete detail of whether they have breathing pauses and become saturated, sometimes they have tachycardia, their sleep quality, whether it is a light sleep or a deep sleep.”he said of the sleep study.

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Other assessments include a questionnaire, portable monitors worn at home, imaging assessments such as nasofibrolaryngoscopy, or even slightly more invasive snoring tests.

And the treatment

All these assessments are carried out according to the patient’s situation. The doctor will be the one to decide on the treatment. In this case, Dr. Abarca indicates that the treatment is usually using a CPAP, although she pointed out that it is preferable to modify some routines first.

“We started by changing lifestyles: Lose weight, maybe the way you sleep (sleeping on your side, with the head of the bed slightly raised), avoid alcohol or sedatives, because sedatives relax you a lot and increase snoring, maintain a healthy life with sports, keeping your hours of sleep adequately.”he indicated.

Next may be the use of CPAP, a continuous positive airway pressure device, which is used while sleeping and consists of a mask, like an oxygen mask. This is used to treat moderate to severe sleep apnea. Other treatments involve the use of a mandibular advancement device, and only in some cases is surgical treatment performed.

But before reaching these situations, the specialist indicates that today medicine is more focused on preventive health. This is where devices such as the Apple Watch Series 10 come in, although their use must be accompanied by a doctor.