Coping With And Dealing With Sleep Apnea Syndrome
Like other sleep disorders, sleep apnea syndrome impacts the quality of your rest and leaves you sleepy during the day. However, if left untreated, then the condition can lead to other health problems that can be life threatening. Thankfully, there are a number of treatments available. If you suspect that you have sleep apnea, then read on for a list of symptoms to look for and options for treating the disorder.
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 disorders can impact a individual’s daily living. They do not go through the right sleep cycles as well as their day to day lives begin to suffer from the deficiency of sleep that is. The conditions has the ability to be dangerous. Sleep apnea is a medical condition where the person actually arrests breathing they sleep. It is extremely dangerous and life threatening if not dealt with in the right way. You don’t have to keep suffering. Even if snoring is a problem, there are instruments to help you in getting a quality nights sleep and feel well rested in the morning. Go here for additional information:
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Tags: Sleep Apnea Syndrome, sleep disorders