Coping With And Dealing With Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Introduction To The Sleep Lab - Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

If your loud snoring is disturbing either you or your partner, then it may be time to see a doctor about apnea. Sleep apnea syndrome is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when breathing frequently stops for brief periods throughout the night. Not only does this condition reduce the quality of your sleep, but it can also lead to other serious health conditions. In this article, we’ll wake you up to the symptoms of sleep apnea and the treatments available.

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of apnea and is due to an obstruction in the throat during sleep. The narrowing of the upper airway can be a result of several factors including inherent physical characteristics, excess weight, and alcohol consumption before sleep. Central sleep apnea is caused by a delay in the signal from the brain to breath. With both obstructive and central apnea you must wake up briefly to breathe, sometimes hundreds of times during the night. Usually there is no memory of these brief awakenings.

The most common symptoms seen in patients suffering from sleep apnea syndrome are loud snoring, excessive daytime sleepiness, headaches, waking up at night with a choking sensation, night sweats, frequent trips to the bathroom during the night, insomnia and problems staying asleep. Apneas can be accompanied by a variety of other conditions like high blood pressure, depression, difficulty concentrating and reduced libido. More severe cases can be a life-threatening condition that may require immediate medical attention. The risks of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea include heart attacks, strokes, irregular heartbeat and heart disease. In addition, obstructive sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness that can result in accidents, lost productivity and interpersonal relationship problems. The severity of the symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe.

A sleep test, called polysomnography is usually done in a sleep disorder center to diagnose sleep apnea. Mild cases of sleep apnea syndrome are usually treated by some behavioral changes like losing weight or sleeping on your side. There are also mouth devices that can help keep the airway open by bringing the jaw forward, elevating the soft palate or preventing the tongue from falling back into the airway and blocking breathing. Moderate to severe sleep apnea is usually treated with a CPAP mask and a CPAP machine. This machine blows air into your nose via a nose mask, keeping the airway open and unobstructed. Some people have facial deformities that may cause the sleep apnea. There are several other surgical apnea treatments like removing excess tissue to clear the airway, moving the tongue forward, and moving the upper and lower jaw forward.

Sleep apnea syndrome is a progressive condition that gets worse as you age, so it’s important to take it seriously. The symptoms of sleep apnea can be made worse by obesity and alcohol consumption, so lifestyle changes should supplement the treatments that your doctor recommends. Taking care of this sleep disorder will allow you to live a healthier - and more restful - life.

Sleep is absolutely essential for the human body to function properly. The lack sleep can begin affecting daily functions and the thought process. For some going to bed to sleep is a time to be apprehensive about because they never actually feel rested. They sleep unsoundly, have difficulties breathing and sometimes even stop breathing more than once times each night. They snore and disturb their partners therefore end up effecting their relationships. Work begins to become hurt as they continually lose focus and have the ability to concentrate. There is some hope though. There are devices and procedures that can finally provide them a better quality of sleep and at last triumph over their sleep disorders. Click here for more information:

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