What is sleep apnea?
Sleep Apnea is when an individual thinks that they are resting but in actuality, there is a complication that is interrupting their sleep continuously throughout their bedtime hours. This in return leaves them waking feeling really unrested and as if they need to go right back to sleep.
There are 3 different types of sleep apnea that an individual can suffer from. Those include obstructive, central, and complex. Each of these types of sleep apnea varies in degree of severity and the symptoms that are felt. Most important though is what causes these types of sleep apnea and how can they be prevented.
Three Types of Sleep Apnea and Their Causes
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common. This type of sleep apnea occurs when the tissue towards the back of your throat relaxes during your sleep. This in return blocks the airways and causes you to loudly snore. This set of events is an obstructive sleep apnea episode.
Central Sleep Apnea is much less common than obstructive and it involves the central nervous system. When your brain fails to signal the muscles that control your breathing during sleep, central sleep apnea occurs. Commonly, people who suffer from Central sleep apnea do not snore like those that suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.
Complex Sleep apnea is a combination of central and obstructive sleep apnea. Individuals who experience complex sleep apnea are at much higher risk of complications than those who experience just obstructive or just central sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Complications
When sleep apnea occurs your body will arouse itself to wake and reinforce oxygen through your airways. Likely, you will only feel brief shortness of breath which you would be able to recuperate from within a matter of 1-2 breaths later if you are even awoken from the experience. These slight disruptions can occur from just a few times a night to a few thousand times a night. In these situations, the phases of sleep that are needed to provide your body with rest are not obtained.
Sleep apnea machine – Treatments and Prevention
Some common factors have been associated with sleep apnea, when addressed they are proven to reduce the risk of sleep apnea in individuals. Those factors include:
- Weight Loss – Sleep apnea and weight loss are often connected, as treating sleep apnea can lead to improved metabolism and appetite regulation, leading to weight loss.
- hypertension – Sleep apnea and hypertension are often linked, as untreated sleep apnea can increase the risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.
- Avoiding the use of sleeping pills or alcohol
- Changing your sleeping position periodically to improve breathing
- Stop smoking. When you smoke it causes swelling naturally in the airways increasing the chances and severity of sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
In sleep apnea diagnosis in most cases, the patient has been prescribed a CPAP treatment. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure treatments allow the patient to wear a mask while sleeping over the nose and mouth that in return delivers continuous pressure through the airways thus preventing sleep apnea disturbances from occurring.
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