Patient/caregiver were instructed regarding findings to watch for and report in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea as follows:
- Caregivers of individuals with history of sleep apnea must keep a close watch on the snoring during the night. Any gross increase in the snoring of the individual should be reported to the physician for further follow-up.
- Sometimes the apneic spells could be for very brief period and go unnoticeable with the individual barely waking up from sleep. But frequent episodes of gasping for air with mouth open in individuals with sleep apnea can lead to other associated symptoms, such as, dryness of mouth & throat, with soreness & discomfort. Any gross increase in the dryness of mouth and discomfort in the throat should therefore be reported to the physician for further investigation.
- Lack of sleep and proper rest can be a stressful situation, leading to increased resistance to action of insulin, poor mobilization of glucose from the blood into the cells, and thus, increased blood glucose levels. Poorly managed blood sugar numbers in diabetic individuals with sleep apnea can be an indication of inadequate measures for management of the sleep disorder. Diabetic individuals with coexisting sleep apnea must keep a close watch on their blood sugar numbers and report to the physician regarding any consistent trend of poorly controlled blood sugars, for further investigation.
