Congratulation to one of my patients! A 45 years old patient with diabetes, hypertension and fatty liver returned to normal after my treatments.

He suffered enduring pain of sleep apnea  and fatty liver disease for more than 20 years.  He was diagnosed diabetes last year with very strong family diabetes history when he started to receive treatment. He had also suffered  rhinitis, block nose and hay fever nearly 40 years. 

After my treatments last year, most of his symptoms disappeared: no block nose, no sleep apnea, blood sugar back to normal. Blood test report showed his HbA1c in normal range and Alt reduced from 91 to 42 (normal range is 5-40) ; Also liver fibroscan report showed his liver excludes significant fibrosis.

One year later, the patient came back to see me again, due to his diabetes recurrence showed by  the blood test  and the onset of hypertension  (139/94).  After one session treatment, the patient’s blood pressure  returned to normal, and the blood test showed that his blood glucose level returned to normal range. Also Alt returned to normal (from 42 to 25) , which means his fatty liver disappeared. 

 

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is not just snoring or feeling tired during the day, but it is a serious medical condition that not only deprives your sleep but also can severely impact your health and your quality of life.

Obstructive sleep apnea is an illness characterized by snoring, partial or complete cessation of breathing during sleep, reductions in blood oxygen levels, severe sleep fragmentation, and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Researchers and clinicians have recognized sleep apnea as one of the most common sleep disorders and with perhaps the greatest medical and social impact on society in terms of morbidity and mortality. The syndrome strikes both sexes and all races, ages, socioeconomic strata, and ethnic groups.

 

“Wake” your body at night

Someone with sleep apnea will have either or both following conditions :

Apnea: Completely stop breathing

Hypopnea: Have their breathing severely restricted

These events can happen hundreds of times per night. Each cycle, the apnea or hypopnea starves the body of vital oxygen and increases carbon dioxide in the blood. The lack of oxygen in the body signals the brain to “wake” the body to start breathing again.

 

The Effects of Sleep Apnea

If left untreated, sleep apnea can result in a growing number of health problems, including:

1，High blood pressure：If you already have it, sleep apnea can make it worse.  When you wake up often during the night, your body gets stressed. That makes your hormone systems go into overdrive, which boosts your blood pressure levels.

2，Heart disease： People with OSA are more likely to have heart attacks possibly because of low oxygen or the stress of waking up often.  Strokes and atrial fibrillation — a fast, fluttering heartbeat — are also linked with the condition. 

3，Diabetes： 80% or more of diabetes sufferers may have OSA.   Sleep Apnea could be an early warning that diabetes development is underway. Numerous medical studies have linked obstructive sleep apnoea with greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

4, Depression: Sleep apnea can cause symptoms of apparent clinical depression. Obstructive sleep apnea and other symptoms of OSA are associated with probable major depression, regardless of factors like weight, age, sex or race, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

5, Worsening of ADHD: Sleep disorders are believed to be one of the most common types of conditions among adults and children with ADHD. A lack of sleep can exacerbate some ADHD and ADHD-related symptoms, especially anxiety. However, poor sleep quality usually affects children and adults differently. When children don’t get enough sleep, they usually become more hyperactive. Adults, on the other hand, typically feel more fatigued and have a lack of energy.

6，Headaches: Headache can be a presenting symptom of sleep disorders; conversely, many researchers have found an increrased incidence of sleep disturbance in chronic headache patients.

In addition, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for poor performance in everyday activities, such as at work and school, motor vehicle crashes, and academic underachievement in children and adolescents.

 

Treatment for Sleep Apnea

Researchers found acupuncture has an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. The findings indicate that acupuncture is a proven treatment option for sleep apnea patients by improving the apnea hypopnea index and the SaO2 levels in the blood. ( HealthCMi )