The Truth About Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea reduces the overall health of millions of Americans. It is a very common sleep disorder, affecting one in fifteen Americans, and can have serious health consequences if left untreated. Sleep apnea is characterized by loud snoring and periodic cessation of breathing throughout the night. Breathing often stops for periods of ten to thirty seconds at a time, but can stop for longer periods too. Men are at a higher risk than women. Those who are older are at the highest risk for sleep apnea.

Since sleep apnea occurs at night symptoms aren’t always obvious. It is possible to suffer from sleep apnea for years without realizing it. A whopping eighty percent of those with sleep apnea are undiagnosed. It is many times a bed partner that first recognizes the signs.

Different Forms of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea comes in two flavors. The most common kind is obstructive sleep apnea. This type is characterized by breathing difficulties resulting form an airway obstruction. The airway might become blocked due to physical abnormalities such as swollen glands, a large tongue, or excess tissue in the throat area. A great many cases of obstructive sleep apnea are caused by obesity. Even being overweight a little bit can lead to sleep apnea.

With obstructive sleep apnea, snoring is usually a persistent problem. Snoring is punctuated by quite lapses in breathing. The body then reacts to the falling blood oxygen content and struggles to breathe. A person often begins loudly choking for air. Although this puts a lot of strain on the body, few people wake up all the way. Those that do wake up usually don’t realize what woke them.

Central sleep apnea is the second variety. It is much less common. Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, snoring isn’t necessary present with this variety. It is a central nervous system disorder in which the signals to muscles involved in respiration are delayed, causing breathing to stop. The body reacts just as it does in obstructive sleep apnea as if it were suffocating. This variety can be the result of brain injuries or illnesses, particularly those affecting the brain stem.

Both sorts of sleep apnea result in similar results despite having very different causes. Oxygen levels are too low throughout the night, putting strain on the cardiovascular system. A person never gets to experience deep, rejuvenating sleep resulting in excessive daytime tiredness. In both varieties, health deteriorates over time if no treatment occurs. Cardiovascular disease is a common result. Mood disorders are often commonly reported.

Taking Action

Sleep apnea usually goes untreated despite its dramatic potential for causing poor health and even death. This is too bad because there are many very effective treatments available. The real problem is diagnosis. If you suspect you might be at risk, get yourself checked out! If you are a loud snorer, wake up with headaches or a dry throat, or suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness, then you ought to find out for sure whether you have sleep apnea. Having your spouse or bed partner watch for signs is the easiest way to find out. Setting up a video recorder to record your sleep is another option.

After diagnosis, a sleep specialist can help you determine the appropriate treatment option. Much of the time, it merely takes changes in lifestyle or bad habits to get rid of sleep apnea symptoms.

If you think you might suffer from sleep apnea, it is important to visit a sleep specialist or talk with your doctor. Ignore the signs of the sleep disorder, and you could go undiagnosed for a very long time.

You can find plenty of information about sleep apnea on the internet. For more information checkout this website on what is sleep apnea.