Sleep holding dyspnea may be related to obesity, soft palate hypertrophy, mandibular retraction deformity and other diseases, according to the etiology and characteristics of the disease, the choice of general treatment, surgical treatment, oral orthodontic appliances, and the use of non-invasive ventilator treatment.
1. Obesity: some obese patients’ neck and pharyngeal cavity submucosal tissues are narrowed due to fat accumulation, and the pharyngeal cavity collapses due to suction during inhalation during sleep, resulting in sleep suffocation and waking up with dyspnea. It can be treated by active exercise, proper diet control, weight loss by surgery, and supplemented with non-invasive positive pressure ventilation by non-invasive ventilator.
2. Hypertrophy of soft palate: patients with wide and hypertrophied soft palate can sleep with the hypertrophied soft palate tissues close to the posterior wall of the pharynx, and the negative pressure generated during inhalation will make the soft palate close to the posterior wall of the pharynx, which will close the pharyngeal cavity and cause the symptom of waking up from breathlessness and dyspnea. The above symptoms can be improved by choosing uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and non-invasive ventilator treatment.
3. Mandibular retraction deformity: due to genetic or developmental abnormalities, the mandible retracts towards the neck, resulting in narrowing of the pharyngeal cavity. During sleep, the pharyngeal cavity is gradually occluded after the soft tissues relax, and the manifestation of suffocation and dyspnea occurs. Oral appliances can be used to treat the symptoms, as well as non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation, and in some patients, mandibular advancement surgery can be used to improve the symptoms.
When sleep apnea exists, it is recommended to actively seek medical treatment, systematic examination by a specialist to clarify the cause of the disease, combined with the patient’s own state, to formulate the best diagnosis and treatment plan.