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Sleep Apnea (also called Sleep Apnoea) is a common sleep disorder that is characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep, which force the sufferer to wake up to resume normal breathing, and disrupt and disturb their normal sleep cycle. These episodes, called apneas, usually last from a few seconds up to as long as sixty seconds in severe cases, and may occur repeatedly throughout the night. Making lifestyle or behavioral changes usually treats mild sleep apnea sufficiently. These changes include such things as losing weight if need be, quitting smoking, decreasing your consumption of alcohol before bedtime and not taking any substance before bedtime that could artificially make you sleepy such as sedatives, tranquilizers or any form of sleeping pills (prescription or otherwise). Sufferers are also advised to sleep with only one regular sized pillow, not two or not oversized pillows and to sleep on their side as opposed to their back.
There are oral plastic mouth appliances that can be custom-fit for a patient either by a dentist or an orthodontist that can bring some degree of relief from symptoms. These oral mouth devices are meant to keep the airway clear and open while the patient sleeps. These devices are best at reducing how much a patient snores on a consistent basis. They work in three different kinds of ways. First, the can serve to bring the jaw forward, secondly, they can raise the soft palate (which is located at "the roof of the mouth in the back of the throat"), and thirdly they can prevent the tongue from falling backwards during sleep and blocking the flow of air. It is important to realize that sleep apnea is a progressive medical condition which means that it will get worse as a person ages and therefore if symptoms can be identified and reduced when it is a mild case then it might not develop into a moderate or more serious sleep condition.
Those who suffer from moderate sleep apnea are often treated by way of continuous positive airway pressure (abbreviated to CPAP or C-PAP). In this instance the patient wears a nose mask that is attached to a machine while sleeping. This machine blows continuous airway pressure into the nose and enables the airways to remain open and clear during sleep. The air pressure level is set according to what the patient needs and adjustments can be made when a sleep technician visits your home to check the machine. CPAP is an effective treatment for moderate sleep apnea when it is used consistently and as instructed.
Some patients experience side effects as a result of CPAP treatment. These side effects may include headaches, sore eyes, a dry or stuffed up nose, bloating of the stomach and irritation of the skin in certain areas of the face. There are things that can be done to decrease the side effects of CPAP treatment. For example a nasal spray can be used to improve a nose that has become dry or stuffed up. The doctor or sleep technician can adjust the settings on the CPAP machine (it could be set too high or too low) and also the size and/or fit of the nose mask can be adjusted. Another helpful tip is to have moisture added to the airflow of the mask to improve conditions for the patient. It may be the type of CPAP machine that is causing adverse side effects to the patient. It is important that the machine used is one that "automatically adjusts the amount of air pressure to the level that is required to keep the airway open." It is also imperative that the machine starts with the lowest air pressure that it is capable of as the patient first drifts off to sleep and then the air pressure gradually increases as the patient falls into a deeper state of sleep.
Written by: Scott Parat
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If left untreated, Sleep Apnea can be life threatening. Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) can cause people to fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as while driving, endangering their lives and the lives of their passengers and those around them.
Sleep apnea also appears to put individuals at risk for stroke and Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs), also known as "mini-strokes", and is associated with coronary heart disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, gout and high blood pressure.
So, if you or a loved one are suffering from sleep apnea, be sure to see your doctor so that the sleep apnea symptoms can be treated, removed, or reduced before they become life threatening.
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