November 2021 | Page 38

HealthTalk

Doctor ’ s notes

Dr Rik Heymans is a general practitioner in Nerja and writes on developments in the world of medicine
Insomnia ...
Insomnia is defined as having regular difficulty with falling asleep , maintaining sleep , consolidation , or having poor quality sleep , that occurs despite adequate time and opportunity for sleep , and that results in some form of daytime impairment . Various worldwide studies have shown a prevalence as high as 50 % -60 %.
The consequences of insomnia are often serious and include depression , decreased performance at work or school , motor vehicle collisions , and decreased overall quality of life . Patients with insomnia should undergo a careful medication history , without forgetting drugs that commonly cause insomnia . Also , A diagnosis of insomnia does increase the future risk for depression , as mentioned earlier , and even anxiety .
Insomnia may be secondary to other medical disorders or conditions as well , such as obstructive sleep apnoea , restless legs syndrome , or circadian rhythm disorders . Women are more likely than men to report insomnia symptoms .
Chronic insomnia increases in frequency with age and is therefore more common in the elderly . Greater psychosocial
stressors , losses , and medical illnesses may contribute to the increased incidence of insomnia with age .
Sedative-hypnotic medications do not usually cure insomnia , but they can provide symptomatic relief , often as an adjunct with counselling . Some patients cannot adhere to or do not respond to counselling and are also candidates for these drugs .
... or sleeping too much ?
Sleeping more than nine hours per night , taking long naps during the day , and poor sleep quality are all independently linked to an increased stroke risk , particularly ischemic events , new research suggests . Results of a large , prospective cohort study show individuals who slept nine or more hours per night had a 23 % increased risk of stroke compared to those who slept from seven hours , to less than eight hours . In addition , individuals who took midday naps lasting 90 minutes or more had a 25 % increased stroke risk .
To learn more , the investigators analysed data on 31,750 participants who were an average age of 61.7 years . Over the six-year follow-up , there were 1,438 confirmed strokes . These diagnoses were based on clinical symptoms and CT or MRI scans . Another 119 strokes were deemed “ probable ” because medical records were unavailable to confirm insurance records or information provided by telephone . Participants who reported sleeping nine hours or more per night or napping 90 minutes or longer were more likely to be men , less educated , current smokers and drinkers , and to be physically inactive compared with the shortest sleepers . Many of these factors are independent risk factors for strokes , and further studies will give us a clearer picture of the real risk of suffering a stroke .
Blue light glasses
There is a growing number of people who wear special eyewear to block or filter the high-energy blue light coming from digital screens . Market Study Report , a market research company , says the global market for blue light eyewear will increase to $ 27 million by 2024 , up from $ 18 million in 2019 . The advertised benefits of the glasses include less eyestrain , improved sleep habits , and prevention of eye disease . But do blue light glasses really work ? Because the glasses are a newer product , there ’ s not a lot of research to show either way . The FDA doesn ’ t regulate the eyewear because it ’ s not marketed as a medical device .
The American Academy of Ophthalmology says you don ’ t need them and has gone on record as not recommending any kind of special eyewear for computer users . The organization says blue light from digital devices does not lead to eye disease and doesn ’ t even cause eyestrain . The problems people complain about are simply caused by overuse of digital devices , it says . So , if you got them for a present , you can wear them to look snazzy and hip ; but not for any alleged medical benefit …
© Dr RIK HEYMANS c / Angustias 24 , Nerja .
Tel : 95 252 6775
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