Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) is a medical condition that affects the mental health of a person after the occurrence of an unfortunate incident. For instance, consider rape, assault, witnessing gory accidents, murder, serious injury, threats of death, etc. People suffering from PTSD must be treated as soon as possible as they tend to show suicidal tendency as well in extreme cases.

A health care expert usually analyzes the symptoms exhibited by the person in order to confirm the disorder. Some of the red flags that you can see in victims of PTSD include:

• Recurring flashbacks of a traumatic incident
• Frequent wake ups from sleep
• Numbing a hurtful memory
• Irritability and moodiness
• Lack of concentration

It is quite common for such symptoms to occur in people who faced any traumatic incident and it will diminish with time. In case it prevails for more than a month, the person is more likely to suffer from PTSD. According to a recent study, prisoners who are subjected to harsh treatments will be victims of PTSD in most cases.

How PTSD Can Lead to OSA

PSTD patients are prone to sleep disorders that include nightmares, excessive sleepiness or lack of sleep, recurrent dreams, etc. It is even reported that Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common disorder in patients who are suffering from the advanced stage of PSTD.

As per a recent study, OSA is detected in more than 70% of people who are diagnosed with PSTD. Hence, it is appropriate to take PSTD patients to a health care provider and assess for OSA before taking additional medications for their sleep-related issues. In case a person fails to get effective treatment for OSA, it will negatively affect the treatment and recovery process for PSTD as well.

OSA or is sleeping disorder in which the throat muscles of an affected person relax intermittently and block the airway. As a result, the patient will experience a lack of breath during sleep and wake up with a gasp. Using anti snoring devices help to tackle the sleep disorder to a great extent, as such devices move the jaw forward during sleep to keep the airway open and allow uninterrupted breathing.

Commonly, a CPAP machine is used to alleviate the symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. However, people with PSTD do not respond to a CPAP therapy that well. This will make it even challenging to treat people who are victims of both OSA and PTSD. Consulting with a health care provider is the best line of defence against the health issues.