Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome, also known as UARS, is a sleeping disorder that often makes sufferers feel sleepy, fuzzy headed and grumpy. UARS is an obstruction that blocks or slows down the air in the nasal passage.
Because of the this obstruction, the chest muscles and diaphragm have to work hard to get the air into the lungs. Many people with UARS go undiagnosed, and are therefore left untreated.
UARS is different from sleep apnea, which is a sleep disorder where a person stops breathing repeatedly during sleep. And unlike sleep apnea, which actually restricts air from getting into the body, UARS just makes you have to work harder to get the air in.
Other differences are that UARS affects more women than men, most sufferers are of normal weight, and they also often suffer from insomnia and are unable to fall back asleep.
UARS is rarely diagnosed in patients; it’s new to doctors and many sleep clinics do not have the technology to diagnose the problem. When patients are in a sleep study, they often don’t stop breathing enough to get a diagnoses of UARS.
This condition is often misdiagnosed as chronic sleep disorder, or fibromyalgia. Other potential symptoms from UARS include migraines and depression from lack of sleep.
According to the Ohio Sleep Medicine Institute, they “now believe that UARS represents a progression of disease bridging the transition from ‘benign snoring’ to obstructive sleep apnea.” There is a natural order in sleeping disorders that starts with benign snoring, and then progresses to UARS, to sleep apnea. The progression may be aligned with weight gain.
There are a few treatments for UARS. The first one is nasal strips. Place one across the bridge of your nose at bedtime and see if this alleviates your problem. See how rested you are in the morning. Another option might be to use a saline solution and irrigate your nasal cavity.
If none of these solutions work, visit your orthodontist and they can fit you with a mouthpiece to sleep in. If it is an extreme case, you can have a specially made nasal mask that will open up your passageways and clear the way for your air to get through.
Sleep is very important. If you do not get enough, it can trigger other ailments, like depression, dizziness, and crankiness – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
If you feel as though your sleep is being interrupted see your doctor or a sleep specialist. They can help guide you in the way you should go to deal with your sleep troubles. There are a number of natural therapies that may help ease you to sleep!
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://www.centerforsoundsleep.com/sleep-disorders/upper-airway-resistance-syndrome
http://sleepmedicine.com/disorders.cfm?disorder=9