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Expert debunks pancreatitis, sleep apnea as causes of ‘bangungot’


A medical professional on Wednesday clarified that pancreatitis and obstructive sleep apnea are not reasons why certain individuals suffer from sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome (SUNDS) or more widely known as “bangungot.”

During a Kapihan session initiated by the Department of Health, cardiologist Dr. Giselle Gervacio of the Philippine General Hospital and St. Luke’s Medical Center Global City said that one of the most common misconceptions in the country is that bangungot is caused by pancreatitis or the inflammation of the pancreas.

“Ang bangungot ay dulot ng arrhythmia o abnormal at mabilis na tibok ng puso. Ito naman ay nakita sa pag-aaral sa mga ibang bansa. Nakita nila na normal ang autopsy, at malamang ay namamatay sila dahil sa biglang bumibilis at nagiging irregular ang tibok ng puso, leading to cardiac arrest,” she explained.

(Bangungot is caused by arrhythmia or an abnormal or rapid heartbeat. This was seen in studies in other countries. They saw that the autopsy was normal, and that people were probably dying because their heartbeat suddenly accelerated and became irregular, leading to cardiac arrest.)

Gervacio also debunked sleep apnea, a disorder that happens due to frequent pauses in breathing while asleep and is usually accompanied by loud snoring, as another reason for bangungot.

“Ang daming naging theory regarding the cause of bangungot. Ang iba sinasabi obstructive sleep apnea. ‘Yung sleep apnea ay nakikita sa mga humihilik na nahaharangan ang airway. Na-disprove na po ‘yun, hindi po ‘yun ‘yung cause ng bangungot,” she said.

(There have been many theories regarding the cause of SUNDS. Others say it is due to obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is seen among those who snore, causing their airway to be blocked. That has already been disproved. That's not the cause of SUNDS.)

Sleep paralysis, on the other hand, is also not similar to bangungot, according to Gervacio. She said that sleep paralysis should not be a cause of concern as it does necessarily mean that it would cause sudden death. 

However, if sleep paralysis frequently happens, she advised those suffering from it to get checked by a medical practitioner to get an electrocardiogram (ECG) and determine other health factors that may have caused it.

Gervacio said that bangungot was first reported in the Philippines in 1917, and affects 43 out of 100,000 Filipinos.

She said that this syndrome could be hereditary as 20% to 30% of its victims were found to have family members that may also be affected by it.

To know more about bangungot and its identical syndrome called Brugada, the University of the Philippines-PGH, along with other government agencies and organizations, established the Philipppine Bangungut Program.

This program will help conduct more research about banungot and Brugada, raise public awareness about them, and write clinical practice guidelines about these syndromes.

It also aims to lobby for molecular autopsy, and the coverage of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on the genetic screening and implantable cardioverter defibrillator for SUDS.—AOL, GMA Integrated News