Sleep apnea refers to a sleeping disorder that is characterized by irregular pauses in breathing. Each breathing pause known as apnea can last from one second to a couple of minutes and it may occur five to thirty times or more times in one hour. Generally, it starts with normal breathing and it grows into loud snorts and sometimes a choking sound. Sleep apnea generally is a chronic condition that interrupts one's sleep. An individual moves out of deep sleep to light sleep when his/her breathing pauses. This causes a poor sleeping pattern to an individual thus making one tired throughout the day. In fact, doctors have termed it as one of the leading causes of too much daytime sleepiness.
Sleep apnea mostly goes undiagnosed since a doctor often does not detect this condition during routine check ups. Many individuals who have this condition do not realize that they have this sleeping disorder since it occurs only when they are asleep. In most instances, it is family members or a bed partner who notices the signs of this condition. It is important to note that loud snoring can be a symptom of this condition. Though sleep apnea is a treatable disorder, if it goes untreated, it can have dangerous and detrimental health effects. Thus it is important to seek doctors' advice if you suspect that you or your loved ones have this sleeping disorder. Some of health problem caused by untreated sleep apnea in a long run include high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain, stroke and heart disease. You will be able to manage its symptoms with proper treatment of this disorder thus getting back your sleeping patterns on the right track.
However, you should adequately update yourself with the warning signs of sleep apnea so that you will be able to distinguish between normal and abnormal snoring, the treatment options available to you and what you can do in order to help yourself. There are many signs and symptoms that can help in identifying whether one has sleep apnea or not. These signs and symptoms include Chronic and loud snoring throughout the night, gasping when one is a sleep, prolonged breathing pauses and excessive daytime sleepiness regardless of the time you have spent in your bed. In addition, sleep apnea is manifested by morning headaches, restless sleeping patterns, insomnia, waking up with a sore throat, dry mouth, depression, difficulty in concentration and waking up during the night feeling out of breath. There are three types that affect people across the world. They include central, obstructive, and mixed sleep apnea.
Central sleep apnea:
This is a rare type which involves the central nervous system instead of an airway obstruction. This disorder occurs when the brain fails to send the necessary signals to the muscles in order for them to take a breath, thus there is no muscular effort in controlling the breathing process.
Obstructive sleep apnea:
This is the most common type of sleeping disorder that affects many people across the globe. This disorder occurs when the soft tissues in the back of throat relax when one is asleep, thus causing a blockage in the airway. This means one is unable to get enough fresh air through the mouth and nose into the lungs. When this occurs, the oxygen levels in one's blood drops significantly thus causing suffocation effects. Normal breathing resumes only after a snort. Mixed sleep apnea is caused by the presence of both central and obstructive sleep apnea.
About the Author:
Finding the best Dentist to take care of you, especially those near to you is easier online.
Click here for Sleep apnea.
No comments:
Post a Comment