Treating Sleep Apnea

Stopping breathing or shortness of breath causes sleep apnea. It is a very risky syndrome and if you feel you are suffering from this disorder you should immediately seek medical attention. It can be dangerous to not get proper attention for sleep apnea. If the problem persists and you are not getting any treatment, it could result in serious health hazards like heart attack, stroke, an irregular heart beat, impotency, high blood pressure and other heart related diseases.

When a person is suffering from sleep apnea, the upper airways become obstructed. They can be blocked by tissues, large tonsils, or a large tongue. The most common factor behind sleep apnea is the structure of jaw and airway.

Common symptoms of sleep apnea are extreme daytime sleepiness and recurring periods of interrupted breathing. There may be other symptoms of sleep apnea like loud snoring, headaches, being overweight, having high blood pressure and suffering from irritability or a change in personality.

Sleep apnea is dangerous, and it can be fatal in many cases. You should not ignore sleep apnea and get treatment immediately. Weight loss, surgery, dental appliances, and breathing assistance devices are various ways you can treat sleep apnea. The use of a breath assistance device is the most popular and most effective treatment of sleep apnea. These breathing assistance devices help in increasing the air pressure in the airways, which prevents the airways from collapsing. You have to wear this device in the form of a mask that has a small air blower connected through a pipe to the nose, and you must wear this mask when you go to sleep. There is also another type of device which will be useful for those whose tongue is the main source of obstruction. This device is a suction cup that is used to assist the teeth and tongue from closing the airway.

There are different types of surgeries available as treatment for sleep apnea. With surgery, the uvula, the dangling flesh at the back of your mouth, is eliminated and soft palate and pharynx are made tighter. There are also nasal surgeries which are used to improve sleep apnea. There are several jaw surgeries that can treat sleep apnea as they can help in reducing airway blockages.

It is definitely advisable that you seek professional treatment if you are suffering from sleep apnea. There are also several ways in which you can help yourself. If you are overweight, work towards losing some weight. Quitting smoking can help reduce instances of sleep apnea. You should eliminate all alcohol if possible since alcohol worsens sleep apnea. If you maintain a healthy lifestyle you can make living with “sleep apnea” easier.

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One Comment

  1. Posted December 22, 2009 at 1:07 am | Permalink

    I was a snorer for a long time. As I got older, my snoring got more frequent and louder. I also noticed I was tired a lot and liked to take naps during the day. I was overweight. People complained about my snoring and I did not want to sleep in the same room with other people for fear of keeping them awake.

    Finally, I talked with a doctor about the problem. He sent me home with a machine to check my breathing and pulse while I slept. The results really shocked me! The doc said my airway was closing off up to 70 times each hour, and that I stopped breathing for as long as one full minute at a time! I had severe apnea. He strongly recommended I start using the CPAP machine, since I was risking damage to my heart due to lack of oxygen.

    I had read about CPAP machines before and always thought I would never be able to sleep with one, since I am a little claustrophobic. Surprisingly, it only took me a few minutes to get used to, and I was able to start sleeping comfortably right away.

    The mask part is just a small nose manifold that covers the nostrils to blow in air. That keeps the throat inflated like a balloon, preventing throat closures and snoring. One problem is the straps over the head that keep the nose piece in place. They can be a little annoying at first, and if you change sleeping positions at night, it is possible for these straps to move, causing the nose piece to slip off.

    I have been using a Dreamhelmet (a combination sleep mask sound-muffling pillow) for years now, to sleep at night and for napping during the day. I always find it hard to sleep without the Dreamhelmet, and was afraid I would not be able to use it with the CPAP mask, but I was wrong about that too.

    After using the CPAP machine and mask for a short while, I tried wearing the Dreamhelmet over the CPAP mask, covering up the straps – voila, it worked like a charm! I found that the Dreamhelmet actually helps keep the straps in place when I change positions, so now I can sleep all night in comfort, not being bothered by sound, light, or changing positions. The CPAP combined with the Dreamhelmet are the perfect sleeping combo for me. You can see and buy the Dreamhelmet for under 30 bucks at http://www.dreamhelmet.com

    Now I don’t snore, I wake up rested, and I have energy that lasts all day long. I’m still overweight, but I don’t feel so run down all the time or feel like I need an afternoon nap, but I still carry an extra Dreamhelmet in the car with me just in case I do need a nap.