Sleep Apnea Cures
A good night’s sleep is essential to optimal health. For many people however, this can prove frustrating and elusive. There are a number of conditions that can interfere with getting enough sleep. Of these, sleep apnea is the most potentially dangerous.
Sleep apnea is a disruption of breathing while asleep, causing periodic gasping for air or struggling for breath, sometimes hundreds of times during the night. Most people who suffer from this disorder do not realize they have it, because when they awaken they don’t remember having trouble breathing.
If not treated, sleep apnea can be life-threatening, so it is very important to ensure that your breathing is normal during the night. It is advisable to watch for the warning signs and seek out sleep apnea solutions as soon as possible. These warning signs can include very loud snoring or gasping; choking as if unable to get air into the lungs; sudden awakenings during the night, sometimes waking up sweating; and feeling exhausted during the day even with a full night’s sleep.
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What causes these awakenings? When breathing is interrupted due to sleep apnea, it changes the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. The imbalance of these essential chemicals signals the brain to restart the breathing process. These awakening incidents are necessary to restart breathing, but may not be remembered later. The result is feeling very tired and unrefreshed by any amount of sleep.
There are two main types of sleep apnea.
The most common is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which is caused by an obstruction that blocks flow of air in the nose and mouth. With OSA, the throat collapses during sleep, obstructing the airway and preventing air from reaching the lungs. In a healthy person, the throat muscles keep the throat and airway open during sleep. In some people, however, these muscles can relax more than normal, due to age, alcohol, other sedatives, or even being overweight or obese. People with certain physical factors, such as large tonsils or tongue, deviated septum, or enlarged adenoids, can also be more at risk for sleep apnea. Even temporary factors such as nasal congestion can cause sleep apnea.
The other type of sleep apnea, though less common, is Central Sleep Apnea (CSA). This is a central nervous system disorder in which the brain signals instructing the body to breathe are delayed. CSA can be caused by a diseases or injuries of the brain, such as viral brain infections, strokes, brain tumors, or respiratory problems. CSA sufferers seldom snore. While the causes of sleep apnea are different in CSA and OSA, they both are serious conditions that result in a deprivation of oxygen and not enough sleep.
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The effects of sleep deprivation can include irritability, inability to concentrate, and a compromised immune system. The problems of oxygen deprivation are even more serious: heart disease, high blood pressure, sexual dysfunction, learning and memory problems, and depression. If you suspect you might have sleep apnea, try keeping a “sleep journal” for several nights (or have your partner record the data). Include information such as snoring, any choking or gasping sounds, and awakening during the night.
Also make a note of how refreshed you feel in the morning. You should also try losing any excess weight and refraining from sedatives before bed. After you have recorded a typical time period of your sleep (perhaps a week), consult a doctor or a sleep specialist. If they suspect you have sleep apnea, you will probably be sent for an overnight study in a sleep lab. By observation and measuring how frequently you stop breathing, a diagnosis can be reached and a cure for sleep apnea can be discussed.
The most important thing for your health is to make sure that you are getting a normal night’s sleep. Sleep apnea cures can be as simple as lifestyle changes so seek out help today.
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Sleep Apnea Treatments For You
Sleep Apnea troubles many people in the world today and can lead to serious health problems and even in some cases, death if left untreated for too long. Seeking sleep apnea treatments are crucial because not only can it cause daytime sleepiness which can lead to all kinds of accidents around the house or car accidents due to falling asleep behind the wheel, it has been linked to other serious things like heart attacks and strokes.
When you sleep, your blood pressure and heart rate lower, giving your heart a chance to rest. Sleep apnea related breathing pauses, snoring and choking or having to gasp for air, keep the heart from getting the rest it needs and usually gets from uninterrupted sleep. This can often lead to high blood pressure, which is an even greater strain to the heart. Many sleep apnea sufferers have high blood pressure, which can in many cases, lead to heart attacks or strokes.
Should you think you might be suffering from sleep apnea, you should consult a doctor right away for proper diagnosis. You can find online sleep apnea “daytime sleepiness” tests, that you can take to give you a better idea of how severe your problem could be.
If a doctor thinks that you may be suffering from sleep apnea, you might be sent to a sleep lab for what is known as polysomnography testing. This is a special sleep test that records both brain waves and breathing as you sleep. This is usually a test done overnight at a sleep lab. Small wires are attached to your face, head, legs and chest, as well as sensor belts around your chest to record your breathing. Sometimes a video camera is also used to monitor your sleeping position.
If you are found to have this condition, sleep apnea treatments will differ depending on the severity of it. Mild sleep apnea can be successfully treated by something as simple as a few lifestyle changes, or a dental device that you put in your mouth when you go to sleep, which holds your lower jaw and tongue forward. Moderate and severe cases of sleep apnea can be treated a number of different ways such as, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. This is a treatment in which a steady flow of air is sent through a mask that keeps your airway open while you sleep. A new treatment available in some places is radio frequency treatment, this is a way of shrinking the tissue in your tongue or throat to making more room in your throat using radio waves that heat the tissue, causing it to shrink. There are also other surgery options for treatment that can be done to remove blockages in your throat, such as laser reduction.
All of these options are available but should only be considered if suggested by your doctor. What you think is the best treatment might not the right one for you, only a doctor or specialist can properly diagnose sleep apnea and suggest the proper treatment for the varying degrees of sleep apnea.
Tags: daytime sleepiness, Sleep Apnea, sleep apnea treatment, Sleep Apnea Treatments, sleep lab, sleep test, treating sleep apnea