Are you plagued by tiredness? Do others say you snore? Are you at least slightly overweight? If so, you could have sleep apnea.
If these are all true for you, waste no time in having your doctor prescribe a sleep study. If you do have sleep apnea, it can shorten your life. And there is treatment! Those who have sleep apnea hold their breaths many times a night, gasping for air. Sleep apnea means higher risk of cardiovascular disease such as stroke, heart attack, and aneurism.
In sleep apnea, the airway collapses during an intake breath. Fatty tissue lining the airway causes the airway to lose elasticity. At least a bit of excess weight is therefore generally necessary for sleep apnea to occur. Sufferers generally also snore.
After the airway closes, the oxygen level in the blood drops. Blood pressure shoots up. The sleeper struggles to breathe and begins to wake up. Returning to consciousness, the sleeper opens the airway, and the breath is completed. The sleeper falls back to sleep. The cycle begins again, perhaps many times per minute. Breath cessation for 10 seconds will bring you a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
The spiking blood pressure is what wears out the cardiovascular system. The semi-conscious effort is what deprives you of sleep.
The fact that you are holding your breath may come as a surprise to you. It's the constant tiredness that will be obvious.
The spiking blood pressure many times each night will bring you closer to heart attack or stroke.
There's treatment?
Effective treatment has been available for a couple of decades now. The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system supplies air from a fan through a hose to a mask placed over the nose and mouth. Pressure from the fan keeps the airway open as you breathe in. It's not so much pressure that you can't breathe out.
Well, nothing's perfect, and some people report their masks are not comfortable. But there are plenty of options on the market.
Another downside is that you have to wear it whenever you lie down to sleep. If you go traveling or camping, you still have to wear it.
The fan makes a noise, but it's a white noise that may actually help you fall asleep.
So, do a quick risk analysis. Is the risk of early death worth the inconvenience of wearing a mask and finding an electric outlet whenever you fall asleep? - 16459
If these are all true for you, waste no time in having your doctor prescribe a sleep study. If you do have sleep apnea, it can shorten your life. And there is treatment! Those who have sleep apnea hold their breaths many times a night, gasping for air. Sleep apnea means higher risk of cardiovascular disease such as stroke, heart attack, and aneurism.
In sleep apnea, the airway collapses during an intake breath. Fatty tissue lining the airway causes the airway to lose elasticity. At least a bit of excess weight is therefore generally necessary for sleep apnea to occur. Sufferers generally also snore.
After the airway closes, the oxygen level in the blood drops. Blood pressure shoots up. The sleeper struggles to breathe and begins to wake up. Returning to consciousness, the sleeper opens the airway, and the breath is completed. The sleeper falls back to sleep. The cycle begins again, perhaps many times per minute. Breath cessation for 10 seconds will bring you a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
The spiking blood pressure is what wears out the cardiovascular system. The semi-conscious effort is what deprives you of sleep.
The fact that you are holding your breath may come as a surprise to you. It's the constant tiredness that will be obvious.
The spiking blood pressure many times each night will bring you closer to heart attack or stroke.
There's treatment?
Effective treatment has been available for a couple of decades now. The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system supplies air from a fan through a hose to a mask placed over the nose and mouth. Pressure from the fan keeps the airway open as you breathe in. It's not so much pressure that you can't breathe out.
Well, nothing's perfect, and some people report their masks are not comfortable. But there are plenty of options on the market.
Another downside is that you have to wear it whenever you lie down to sleep. If you go traveling or camping, you still have to wear it.
The fan makes a noise, but it's a white noise that may actually help you fall asleep.
So, do a quick risk analysis. Is the risk of early death worth the inconvenience of wearing a mask and finding an electric outlet whenever you fall asleep? - 16459
About the Author:
Author Susan Harris is pleased to inform you all about sleep apnea and its treatment, the CPAP sleep apnea machine. Check out her Web site for plenty of information to help you see how it works and select the best one for you.
