Best Sleep Apnea Treatments.com

Sleep deprivation is acutely stressful and it can be deadly. It can disorientate; it can muddle your brain and cause you to become emotionally unstable; it can even kill you.

Yet millions of long suffering parents worldwide have a child who tortures them every night with a snoring racket that can rival the noise of a chainsaw in full swing.

But more importantly it’s not just you, the parents, who suffer sleepless nights when your child snores at this decibel level. For your child, their snoring can be an indication that they may be suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (O.S.A.), a major health complication that can lead to a future lifetime of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and even early death.

Now O.S.A. is a real worry, so if you feel that this sounds all too familiar, for the sake of your child’s long term health, get it checked out. Admittedly, Sleep Apnea can disappear as your child matures, but it usually comes back to haunt them later in life.

Then you need do something to stop the racket. And the very first thing you need to do is make a careful examination of your child’s dietary and lifestyle habits. Now this actually applies to everyone who snores – child, teenager and adult, the common snorer or even someone with an upper respiratory tract abnormality.

Quite simply, ‘we are what we eat’. So to stop your child snoring, you need to ensure that they avoid all foods and drinks which can clog or irritate their sinuses, such as milk before bed, and all foods, drinks and medications (unless absolutely necessary) which cause a relaxation of the respiratory structures at the back of their throat when they are asleep, such as sedatives and cough syrups.

There are just so many foods which if avoided at night can help prevent your child’s nightly snoring racket – far too many to detail here – and so many simple lifestyle choices which you can introduce that have the power to stop your child’s snoring virtually overnight. Even minor lifestyle changes, such as raising the end of the bed up about four inches, can make all the difference.

Your child doesn’t have to look forward to a lifetime of snoring and potential ill health. You can do something about it and it’s far easier to do than you may think!

Dr Rick Donald is the author of Essential Stop Snoring Secrets. To find out more information about his book, visit http://www.stopmysnoringnow.com/stopsnoring.html

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the “gold standard” of treatment for patients with sleep apnea. The CPAP machine works by using pressure to send air flowing through the nasal passages, keeping the throat from collapsing during sleep—the main reason why individuals with sleep apnea stop breathing periodically throughout the night.

Why is this important? Most of us are aware that a good night’s sleep is essential. REM Sleep, the time during sleep when we dream, contributes to overall health and proper body function. But during a sleep apnea event, the individual leaves REM sleep many times throughout the night to restart his or her breathing. The result is a lack of deeply restful sleep that seriously affects the body’s ability to function.

There are three different types of CPAP machines:

• CPAP: delivers one continuous air pressure

• APAP: adjusts to your need for oxygen by starting out at low pressure, senses raising the pressure during a sleep apnea event

• BiPAP: uses a higher pressure when you inhale and lower pressure when you exhale

CPAP cannot cure sleep apnea, but it does alleviate symptoms such as:

• Snoring

• Nasal dryness

• Headaches

• Irritated eyes

• Daytime fatigue

• Weight gain

• Changes in mood

• Driver impairment

Unfortunately, getting used to sleeping with a mask on your face and air flowing down your nasal passages is not the easiest thing to do. Some patients decide they cannot get used to CPAP and eventually abandon the machine. Although this can be a serious health mistake, here are some of the reasons why patients feel this way:

• CPAP is highly successful when used properly, but many patients have trouble complying with its usage. Only 23% – 45% of patients have success.

• When used as directed, the CPAP success rate is nearly 100%! Unfortunately, CPAP is difficult to stick to, since the individual must commit to wearing a mask over the nose and mouth every night.

• The mask should be worn all night. Some wear if for 4 hours or less each night and never reap the complete benefits.

• Face breakouts, eye and nasal irritation, mouth dryness, runny nose and sore throat can all be side effects of CPAP.

• Patients with allergies, ‘mouth breathers’, and patients who sleep on their stomachs may find CPAP difficult to use.

Patients who have decided CPAP is not the right treatment for them frequently benefit from alternative treatments, such as oral appliance therapy.

The most commonly prescribed treatment for diagnosed sleep apnea is the CPAP machine. CPAP stands for ‘continuous positive airway pressure’. The sleep apnea patient wears a specially designed mask when sleeping that uses pressure to send air flowing through the nasal passages. The influx of air keeps the throat from collapsing during sleep and allows the patient to breathe freely without stopping. CPAP minimizes or eliminates snoring so your partner can also get a better night’s rest, and other effects of sleep apnea, such as nasal dryness, headaches and irritated eyes can be reduced or eliminated. Many people find the CPAP difficult to use. With time and patience, however, today’s lighter, quieter CPAP machines have helped thousands of sleep apnea sufferers end their symptoms and sleep peacefully again.

Other treatments include specially designed dental devices that prevent airway obstruction, anti-snoring medications and surgery to prevent obstruction in more severe cases.

Dental Appliances

Most dental appliances are made from acrylic and fit inside your mouth like an athletic mouth guard or braces. Some appliances fit around your head and chin to help reposition your lower jaw. All dental appliances are designed to open your airway, bringing your jaw or tongue forward during sleep to reduce obstruction. Unfortunately, individuals suffering from more severe forms of sleep apnea cannot find relief with these devices.

Side effects from dental appliances include:

• Mouth soreness

• Permanent changes or damage to the jaw, teeth, or mouth

• Build up of saliva

• Nausea

Anti-Snoring Medications

Specialized medication may help curb the effects of sleep apnea or complement more aggressive treatment options when taken before bedtime. Natural plant enzymes and herbs reduce congestion and swelling in the nose and throat and minimize snoring. Special nose drops or nasal sprays, and aromatherapy, have proven beneficial.

Surgery

Surgery can increase airway size by surgically removing excess tissue inside the nose or back of the throat, and may include the removal of tonsils and adenoids. The jaw may be reconstructed to enlarge the upper airway. Surgery certainly carries risks, but for some, this is the best option.

There are things you can do at home to help alleviate your symptoms:

• Avoid alcohol

• Avoid sedatives

• Experiment with sleeping in a new position

• Strategic use of pillows may help

• Lose weight

• Eat a low fat diet

At home remedies are never a substitute for proper medical care.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (or O.S.A. for short) is about as bad as it gets. People may joke about it, but O.S.A. is certainly no laughing matter because it can kill you. And according to the Mayo Clinic, up to 1 in 4 Americans suffer from this deadly health concern.

Now this is a really worrying statistic to say the least.

Unfortunately O.S.A. sufferers can be totally unaware of their condition until their sleeping partner or someone who sleeps within ear shot tells them. If this sounds like you, the only indicator that you may notice is feeling tired all the time during the day.

So what exactly is O.S.A.? It refers to a breathing complication where respiration totally stops during sleep for a period of 20 seconds or more. You can experience up to 300 of these apniac events each night. They severely reduce your body’s ability to oxygenate your blood, forcing your heart to pump harder than it should to maintain equilibrium.

Prolonged nightly apniac events can then cause an enlargement of your heart, with the probability of associated cardio-vascular disorders such as high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and irregular heart beat.

And what causes O.S.A.? It occurs when your tongue, uvula and/or soft palate collapse into the back of your throat when you sleep, blocking your airways so you can’t breath. As your airways narrow even further, you start to snore loudly, then your body violently gasps for air as breathing totally stops, and your nightly dice with death continues as the cycle repeats itself. No wonder O.S.A. sufferers wake feeling absolutely exhausted!

Most at risk are unfit, middle aged, overweight males who have a thick neck and pot belly. They often have a family history of the condition and may have a sluggish thyroid. Unfortunately, even if you don’t fit into this category you can still suffer from O.S.A., so if you have any concerns in this regard, check them out with your healthcare advisor.

Now the good news is that O.S.A. is a manageable condition. If you feel that you do suffer from this worrying health concern, have it checked out first to determine if you need to use a CPAP breathing machine, then look at your diet and lifestyle choices before you waste time and money on any other stop snoring treatments.

It’s important here to always remember that you are what you eat. Whilst it’s unlikely that dietary and lifestyle changes will totally cure your O.S.A., they certainly have the power to overcome some of the contributing factors that may be causing or worsening your Sleep Apnea so that its incidence and frequency reduces.

Dr Rick Donald is the author of ‘Essential Stop Snoring Secrets’. To find out more information about his book, visit http://www.stopmysnoringnow.com/stopsnoring.html

If you’ve been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), characterized by stoppages in breathing as you sleep, one of the treatments you may be offered is CPAP. The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure treatment is usually the first choice prescribed by many OSA specialists. While it is a successful way to treat OSA, many people have problems with continuing to use it.

Because it requires a mask that fits over the mouth and nose each night while the OSA sufferer sleeps, there are several unwanted side-effects of using it. Many CPAP users report they can only tolerate it for four hours a night. Users complain of facial breakouts due to the straps, eye irritation, runny nose, dry mouth, and sore throats. Because the mask is hooked up to a machine by an attached hose, patients who are more comfortable sleeping on their stomachs may also have trouble. The noise coming from the machine is also problematic to many.

Alternatives

After being diagnosed with OSA, discussing your treatment options with a sleep apnea specialist or sleep apnea dentist is your best bet to avoiding CPAP. And there are several options available.

Oral Appliance Therapy – These are devices that are custom-fitted to minimize OSA and snoring (one of the symptoms of OSA). They are worn like an orthodontic appliance, or mouth guard, and keep the soft tissue from collapsing and blocking your airway. They are also designed to keep your tongue in place and out of the way of your throat. Devices such as SomnoMed MAS, Thornton Adjustable Positioner (TAP), and many more are highly successful in treating OSA.

Behavioral Therapy – Many patients with OSA may find that simply changing behaviors in their lifestyle can cut down or completely eliminate instances of sleep interruption. Individuals who smoke, consume alcohol on a regular basis, or are overweight may find that giving up these habits or losing weight will help. Improving your diet, avoiding certain antihistamines before bed, or putting a humidifier in your bedroom are also easy improvements.

Medication – Snoring is not necessarily an indication that you have OSA, but it is a symptom. There are herbal medicines that use natural plant enzymes or herbs to help eliminate snoring. These “anti-snoring pills” reduce congestion and swelling in the nose and throat. When you are able to breathe easier, you are less likely to snore or awake unable to breathe. Other medications include prescribed nose drops or sprays and aromatherapy.

Surgery – Though surgery should be the last resort in treating OSA, this may be the most beneficial treatment for some people. The goal of OSA surgery is to increase the size of the airway. This makes it easier for you to breathe as you sleep without interruption. Different surgical procedures include a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, tongue reduction surgery, or a tracheotomy in severe cases of OSA.

OSA is a potentially dangerous condition. The risks of having an untreated condition may increase your chances of heart attack or stroke. If you believe you may have obstructive sleep apnea, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.

Do you wake up in the morning feeling as if you haven’t slept at all? Are you cranky, irritable, or depressed? Do you find yourself dozing off during movies or while performing routine tasks, including driving? Are you suddenly having difficulty with short-term memory or complex cognitive tasks?

If any of these are the case, you may have sleep apnea, and if even minor surgery is in your future, you need to determine whether you have sleep apnea or you could be putting your life at risk.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a common condition in which breathing stops during sleep. As your body realizes it is suffocating, it wakens partially, which restores airflow, but disrupts sleep. Both parts of sleep apnea are harmful–reduced oxygen supply can lead to high blood pressure and increased risk of heart failure as the heart tries to compensate for low oxygen saturation. Sleep disruption decreases the amount of rest a person receives, reducing the level of rest a person receives during sleep.

Sleep Apnea Surgical Risks

According to studies, surgical patients with sleep apnea face highly increased risks. These risks are described as being periopoerative, meaning that they occur not only during surgery, but also following surgery and throughout recovery.

Surgical Risks include

· Difficulty in mask ventilation tracheal intubation, or laryngoscopic view

· Adverse response to anesthesia including apneic events where the waking response is inhibited, which can lead to dangerously low oxygen levels

Immediate Postsurgical Risks include

· Low blood oxygen levels

· High or low blood pressure

· Irregular heartbeat

· Pneumonia

· Collapsed lung

· Mental confusion

· Wound breakdown

· Oxygen starvation of the heart

· Stroke

· Death

· Brain damage

Recovery Period Risks include

· Shortness of breath

· Chest pain

· Abnormal post-surgical chest x-ray

· Transfer to ICU

· Necessity of mechanical ventilation

· Cardiac arrest

· Congestive heart failure

· Coma

· Death

In all, people with untreated sleep apnea have double the risk of perioperative complications and triple the risk of serious complications. And patients with untreated sleep apnea have, on average, 33 % longer hospital stays than other patients.

Get Tested

Although the rate for sleep apnea in the general population is only 2-4 %, studies found that as many as 19 % of the adult surgical population suffer from sleep apnea. The increase is due to the serious health complications resulting from sleep apnea, making sufferers disproportionately represented in the surgical population. Although many hospitals now pre-screen all surgical patients for sleep apnea, the screening tools are cursory and may not catch you. If you suffer from any of the symptoms of sleep apnea, such as daytime sleepiness, wake feeling poorly rested, experience excessive moodiness, or have difficulty with memory or cognitive tasks, you should consider being screened for sleep apnea before any surgery.

Sleep apnea is the temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep. Technically, a person is said to have sleep apnea if breathing stops for at least ten seconds, five times an hour. Your body responds to the stoppage of breathing by waking you, which leads to sleep apnea sufferers experiencing very poor sleep. In addition, sleep apnea sufferers tend to experience serious health complications including an increased risk for:

· High blood pressure

· Heart attack

· Stroke

· Arrhythmia

In addition, sleep apnea sufferers are liable to experience a number of psychological effects, including:

· Loss of short-term memory

· Poor work performance

· Severe anxiety

· Mood swings

· Depression

· Impotence

Finally, sleep apnea sufferers can suffer serious complications following surgery and are at an increased risk of dying in an automobile accident. Obviously, this is a very serious condition, and discovering whether you have it is very important.

See the Signs

Anyone can suffer from sleep apnea, but the people most at risk for sleep apnea are overweight men over the age of 50. In addition, anyone who has suffered a traumatic brain injury is at an increased risk for sleep apnea.

Although sleep apnea occurs when you are sleeping, it has a number of daytime manifestations. First, if you are experiencing any of the above psychological effects, consider the possibility that you are suffering sleep apnea. In addition, consider your level of daytime sleepiness. You may take a quick test like the Epworth Sleepiness Test which can help you determine whether you have an excessive level of daytime sleepiness. In addition, if you have a cosleeper, ask him or her about snoring, which is commonly associated with obstructive sleep apnea. More important, ask if they notice you gasping or suffering a stoppage of breathing during the night.

Once you begin to suspect sleep apnea, you might begin a sleep journal. A sleep journal should include at least the time you went to bed, the time you woke up, any waking events you have, insomnia, and note days when you feel sleepy, unrested, or irritable during the day. Also, have your cosleeper record any events he or she notes during the night. With this journal, you can develop a comprehensive picture of your sleep habits.

Definite Diagnosis

Once you begin to suspect that you have sleep apnea, you should seek positive diagnosis. Diagnosis of sleep apnea is the first stage in treatment of this completely remediable disease. Diagnosis of sleep apnea is performed by the use of a polysomnogram. A polysomnogram is a comprehensive test of the way you sleep. It monitors:

· Brain activity (via an electroencephalogram (EEG))

· Air flow, chest and abdomen movement

· Continuous oxygen saturation

· Chin and leg movements

· Eye movements and the onset of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep

· Heart rate and rhythm

By monitoring all these elements simultaneously, the polysomnogram can definitively establish whether you suffer from sleep apnea or not by identifying the number of breathing interruptions you suffer during your sleep. It can tell the amount of time you spend in stage 1, 2,3, and 4 sleep, as well as the amount of time you spend in REM sleep. For diagnosing all sleep problems, the polysomnogram is the gold standard of tests, but it does require an overnight stay in the laboratory.

Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by a reduction or cessation of breathing and air flow during sleep. It is much more common in adults than in children. An “apnea” is a period of time w breathing stops or is significantly reduced. Apnea occurs when a person stops breathing for ten seconds or more. When an apnea occurs, sleep is disrupted. Sometimes this means the person wakes up completely, but sometimes this can mean the person comes out of a deep level of sleep. Apneas are usually measured during sleep over a two-hour period. Sleep apnea affects as much as 26% of the general population.

The three types of sleep apnea are central sleep apnea (CSA), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and mixed sleep apnea (a combination CSA and OSA).

During sleep, the brain instructs the muscles of breathing to take a breath. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain does not send the signal to the muscle to take a breath, and there is no muscular effort to take a breath. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the brain sends the signal to the muscles and the muscles make an effort to take a breath but are unsuccessful because the airway becomes obstructed and prevents the flow of air. The third type of sleep apnea, mixed sleep apnea, occurs when there is both central and obstructive sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea and Surgery

People undergoing surgery who have sleep apnea face a whole new set of risks when going under the knife. If a patient is having surgery and suffers from undiagnosed OSA, he will have a greater risk for difficult intubation; will have the chance for more post-operative complications; increased intensive care admissions; and a lengthier hospital stay. For these reasons, it is very important that sleep apnea be diagnosed prior to having any type of surgery.

A very simple, self-administered test has been developed by a team of Canadian anesthesiologists. It’s a questionnaire called “STOP” and involves the following simple questions: “Do you snore loudly? Do you often feel tired, fatigued or sleepy during the daytime? Has anyone observed you stop breathing during sleep? Do you have or are you being treated for high blood pressure?”

If a patient answers “yes” to two or more of those four questions, then he is considered to be at high risk for OSA. When other risk factors were also considered such as high BMI (body mass index), large neck circumference and an age over 50, then the likelihood of correctly diagnosing OSA increased even more.

An overnight study by a highly trained sleep apnea specialist is the best way to diagnose this disorder, but sometimes this is too time-consuming for the patient.