Tired All the Time? It Might Not Just Be the Kids, or the Menopause
Exhaustion is so common that we often explain it away. The children are up early, work is busy, or it must be "the change". Sometimes those explanations are right. But for some people, the real cause is a breathing problem during sleep that has never been identified.
Why sleep-disordered breathing is easily missed
Many people picture sleep apnoea as a condition of loud-snoring, overweight men. Research shows it is far more varied, and women in particular are often underdiagnosed. Women are more likely to report:
tiredness and low energy rather than snoring
difficulty sleeping or frequent waking
morning headaches
low mood or irritability
These symptoms are easily put down to a busy family life, stress or hormones, so the underlying breathing problem can go unrecognised for years.
The menopause connection
The risk of sleep-disordered breathing rises significantly after the menopause. Female hormones appear to help keep the airway muscles active during sleep. As these hormones decline, the airway can become more prone to narrowing.
Many menopause symptoms also overlap with those of sleep apnoea, including broken sleep, night-time sweating, poor concentration and fatigue. The two can occur together, and treating one may not resolve the other.
When to consider your breathing
It may be worth looking further if you:
wake unrefreshed despite a full night in bed
have been told you snore, gasp or stop breathing in your sleep
wake with a dry mouth or headache
feel sleepy during quiet activities, such as reading or driving
How we can help
Dentists often notice early signs during routine examinations. Where appropriate, we can refer you for a sleep assessment and discuss treatment options alongside your medical care.
Feeling exhausted and not sure why? Contact Whitland Dental Co on 01994 238 660 or book at www.whitlanddental.co.
References
Bixler, E. O., Vgontzas, A. N., Lin, H. M., Ten Have, T., Rein, J., Vela-Bueno, A., & Kales, A. (2001). Prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in women: Effects of gender. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 163(3), 608–613. https://doi.org/10.1164/ajrccm.163.3.9911064
Heinzer, R., Vat, S., Marques-Vidal, P., Marti-Soler, H., Andries, D., Tobback, N., Mooser, V., Preisig, M., Malhotra, A., Waeber, G., Vollenweider, P., Tafti, M., & Haba-Rubio, J. (2015). Prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in the general population: The HypnoLaus study. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, 3(4), 310–318. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(15)00043-0
Valipour, A., Lothaller, H., Rauscher, H., Zwick, H., Burghuber, O. C., & Lavie, P. (2007). Gender-related differences in symptoms of patients with suspected breathing disorders in sleep: A clinical population study using the Sleep Disorders Questionnaire. Sleep, 30(3), 312–319. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/30.3.312
Young, T., Finn, L., Austin, D., & Peterson, A. (2003). Menopausal status and sleep-disordered breathing in the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 167(9), 1181–1185. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200209-1055OC
I can put both blogs into a doc if you'd like them together for editing.
