Sleep apnea is not a condition one should take lightly. It affects your sleep, day-to-day life, and your future. Sleep apnea patients complain of a lack of energy, poor concentration, decreased productivity, slowed metabolism, and general loss of quality of life. In addition to the obvious disadvantages of lost sleep, sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, and even sudden death. Diagnosis and treatment can have a huge impact on your life.
One form of treatment for sleep apnea is behavioral adjustments. Mild sleep apnea and snoring can be treated with a few small adjustments to your life. Recommended changes in behavior include: avoiding alcohol before bed, losing weight, moistening the air, not eating close to bedtime, quitting smoking, raising the head of the bed or mattress, increasing daily exercise, and sleeping on your side. It is also not a bad adjustment to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Sleep deprivation has been known to cause sleep apnea. Another good suggestion is to avoid taking sleeping pills and mood-altering drugs. A healthy lifestyle goes a long way as well. Having a healthy, well-balanced diet and exercising daily will do much more for your life and body than just helping to eliminate snoring and sleep apnea. These are all good recommendations to treat snoring and mild sleep apnea, and help you achieve a better life.
For moderate to severe sleep apnea, further measures are usually necessary. It is a good idea to explore other options such as alternative oral appliances, if you have moderate to severe symptoms of sleep apnea.
Read more on Sleep Apnea Oral Appliances
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Sleep Apnea: How and When to get Treated
It’s estimated that as many as 15 million people suffer from sleep apnea, it is more prevalent in men than women. If you snore, already been diagnosed with sleep apnea, use a CPAP machine or suffer from any symptoms of sleep apnea, then you are a good candidate for treatment.
Some symptoms of sleep apnea include: depression, dry mouth, falling asleep while driving or working, gasping or choking during sleep, general tiredness during the day, irritability or anxiety, restless sleep, and snoring with pauses in breathing. If someone suspects they may have sleep apnea, a sleep study (polysomnogram) should be done. This study will accurately measure what happens during sleep and how severe the problem is.
If left untreated, disturbed and interrupted sleep can cause a wide variety of problems, ranging from minor to very serious. Lack of sleep makes one drowsy during the day. Sleep apnea sufferers also complain of fatigue most often. But, that is just the beginning. Sleep apnea can be linked to the following health risks: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, inability to lose weight, stroke, poor quality of life, and slowed metabolism or weight gain. All of which should be taken very seriously.
One way to treat sleep apnea is through oral sleep appliances and therapy. These have proven to be a viable alternative to CPAP. Research has shown that the tongue is really one of the major factors contributing the blockage of the throat and airway. By using an oral appliance and gradually repositioning the lower jaw forward, the tongue also moves forward opening the airway and creating better muscle tone in the oral pharyngeal area.
Some of the benefits of an oral appliance over the CPAP are: no uncomfortable masks or hoses, does not promote claustrophobia like the CPAP can, tolerated much better than CPAP, no mask impression left on the face, far more convenient for travel, airports, and much more.
If you or a loved one has any symptoms of sleep apnea, it is important to address and receive treatment. It will better the quality of your sleep, and your life.
Read more on Sleep Apnea Dentist in NJ and Sleep Apnea Treatments
Some symptoms of sleep apnea include: depression, dry mouth, falling asleep while driving or working, gasping or choking during sleep, general tiredness during the day, irritability or anxiety, restless sleep, and snoring with pauses in breathing. If someone suspects they may have sleep apnea, a sleep study (polysomnogram) should be done. This study will accurately measure what happens during sleep and how severe the problem is.
If left untreated, disturbed and interrupted sleep can cause a wide variety of problems, ranging from minor to very serious. Lack of sleep makes one drowsy during the day. Sleep apnea sufferers also complain of fatigue most often. But, that is just the beginning. Sleep apnea can be linked to the following health risks: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, inability to lose weight, stroke, poor quality of life, and slowed metabolism or weight gain. All of which should be taken very seriously.
One way to treat sleep apnea is through oral sleep appliances and therapy. These have proven to be a viable alternative to CPAP. Research has shown that the tongue is really one of the major factors contributing the blockage of the throat and airway. By using an oral appliance and gradually repositioning the lower jaw forward, the tongue also moves forward opening the airway and creating better muscle tone in the oral pharyngeal area.
Some of the benefits of an oral appliance over the CPAP are: no uncomfortable masks or hoses, does not promote claustrophobia like the CPAP can, tolerated much better than CPAP, no mask impression left on the face, far more convenient for travel, airports, and much more.
If you or a loved one has any symptoms of sleep apnea, it is important to address and receive treatment. It will better the quality of your sleep, and your life.
Read more on Sleep Apnea Dentist in NJ and Sleep Apnea Treatments
Friday, August 20, 2010
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep Apnea is serious and potentially life-threatening medical condition that causes a person to actually stop breathing while asleep. These interruptions of oxygen cause a wide variety of symptoms, and are linked to some serious conditions such as weight gain, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
Apnea sufferers can stop breathing as many as 40 times per minute. They awaken feeling as though they had little or no sleep because they’ve been fighting for oxygen all night.
Apnea episodes can occur from 6 to 100 times per hour. This oxygen deprivation causes people to feel exhausted when they wake up, as though they haven’t really been sleeping. They’ve spent most of the night fighting for air, so it’s no wonder side effects like feeling tired, headachy, and irritable are prevalent. Furthermore, the lower oxygen levels also put a strain on the heart.
Sleep apnea has a number of causes. While much research has been conducted and is still underway, there is no single identifiable cause in every sleep apnea patient. Some researchers have found that certain conditions like obesity, encephalitis, neurodegenerative diseases, and cervical spine complications actually lead to sleep apnea. Usually, sleep apnea is caused by mechanical and structural problems in the airway that interrupt breathing while you sleep. On the other hand, sleep apnea may occur because the throat muscles and tongue relax while you sleep and block the airway. In obese individuals, sleep apnea may be caused by the narrowing of the airway, due to the excess amounts of tissue in the throat and neck.
The most common type of sleep apnea is Obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a blockage of the airway. With Obstructive sleep apnea, air cannot flow into or out of the person's nose or mouth although efforts to breathe continue. The upper airway becomes obstructed by excess tissue. This obstruction may be located in the nasal passages or the structure of the jaw and airway, and may be one of the causes of sleep apnea. Another type of sleep apnea is Central sleep apnea, which is much less common. In a case of Central sleep apnea, the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate respirations.
Sleep Apnea is a very serious condition, and deserves attention so that you can sleep better and live longer.
Read more on Sleep Apnea Causes
Apnea episodes can occur from 6 to 100 times per hour. This oxygen deprivation causes people to feel exhausted when they wake up, as though they haven’t really been sleeping. They’ve spent most of the night fighting for air, so it’s no wonder side effects like feeling tired, headachy, and irritable are prevalent. Furthermore, the lower oxygen levels also put a strain on the heart.
Sleep apnea has a number of causes. While much research has been conducted and is still underway, there is no single identifiable cause in every sleep apnea patient. Some researchers have found that certain conditions like obesity, encephalitis, neurodegenerative diseases, and cervical spine complications actually lead to sleep apnea. Usually, sleep apnea is caused by mechanical and structural problems in the airway that interrupt breathing while you sleep. On the other hand, sleep apnea may occur because the throat muscles and tongue relax while you sleep and block the airway. In obese individuals, sleep apnea may be caused by the narrowing of the airway, due to the excess amounts of tissue in the throat and neck.
The most common type of sleep apnea is Obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a blockage of the airway. With Obstructive sleep apnea, air cannot flow into or out of the person's nose or mouth although efforts to breathe continue. The upper airway becomes obstructed by excess tissue. This obstruction may be located in the nasal passages or the structure of the jaw and airway, and may be one of the causes of sleep apnea. Another type of sleep apnea is Central sleep apnea, which is much less common. In a case of Central sleep apnea, the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate respirations.
Sleep Apnea is a very serious condition, and deserves attention so that you can sleep better and live longer.
Read more on Sleep Apnea Causes
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