Abstract
Sleep apnea syndrome is a multidisciplinary problem occuring in pneumology, neurology, otorhinolaryngology, stomatology, internal medicine, psychiatry, psychology, and to a lesser extent in many other disciplines. Sleep apnea syndrome has a high incidence in the population and is currently considered a serious society-wide problem.
Therapy options include invasive surgical approaches and conservative solution. In spite of the enthusiasm of surgeons concerning with sleep medicine, the focus of these issues is currently seen in conservative medicine.
Diagnosis and subsequent care for these patients is specific. It partially follows general rules, however, it has its own specifics determined by anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system as well as treatment options used in current medicine.
The patient's cooperation and the lifestyle change are the main parts of long-term successful treatment for patients. Motivation and psychical support of patients are tasks carried out by the medical staff as well as patients' families.
The patient's world does not only change in compliance with the recommended therapy, however, it is necessary to change many things, including personal health habits, as it is typical for this disease. We hope this book will help doctors, medical and non-medical students comprehend key problems in this field, grasp care for these patients and make it easier in clinical practice, thanks to its view of the issue as well as comments of anatomy, physiology, pathology and nursing.