Oxygen Is Important: Understanding Sleep Apnea Machines

Since our birth, there is usually someone around concerned about our breathing. Parents worry their newborn(s) will stop breathing and set up all sorts of safety monitoring. Every now and then a newborn will stop breathing for a few seconds. Then take a deep breath to the frantic joy and sweet relief of the nearby parent. Delayed or irregular breathing as a newborn is general but if it continues into later life, it can become a complicated medical nightmare.

Sleep apnea is the name for the condition when a person stops breathing while sleeping. It is more common in adults than children and small babies but the presentation is the same, interruption of a normal breathing pattern. Delayed breathing, long pauses and skipping breaths before starting to breathe again will cause medical problems.

The most common reason for this condition is when the body relaxes during sleep, the flesh around the neck and mouth collapse down cutting off oxygen to the lungs. The body chokes itself. If this happens five or more times in one hour, the medical diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is given.

One simple solution for sleep apnea is to create an environment where the neck's tissue does not cut off airflow. Lifestyles changes, oral mouthpieces and surgical correction to the inner throats structure will help a person troubled by apnea. The most common treatment is to use a sleep apnea machine at night.

A sleep apnea machine is known as a CPAP or "Continuous Positive Airway Pressure" machine. CPAP machines provide a constant flow of air opening your airway while asleep.

CPAP therapy is very effective for treating this nighttime breathing disorder. A doctor ordered sleep study would determine how much air pressure is needed. Then you are fitted with a mask that connects to the machine.

Basic apnea machines are small enough to fit on a bedside nightstand or table. It is important to keep the machine on a flat surface. Never on the bedroom floor. CPAP machines push surrounding air into a small hose connected to a mask that covers your nose and mouth or just your nose. It is important that the air around your breathing machine is pollutant-free.

In the beginning, this treatment can be difficult for some people to tolerate. Wearing a CPAP mask connected to a breathing machine is not a normal sleeping arrangement. If you are able to tolerate it, you will get a good night's sleep. For some, a good night's sleep is worth any early discomfort.

If you show any signs and symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea such as

snoringgasping for breath while asleepfatigued all day, every day

a sleep apnea machine and mask may help you breathe right during the night.

You should talk with a doctor if you have any questions or concerns. Your doctor can guide you to information about using the machine and obtaining sleep apnea machine supplies.

If you are interested in learning more about sleep apnea machines check out SleepApneaCPAP.info today.

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Oxygen Is Important: Answering Questions About CPAP Therapy Alternatives And Sleep Apnea

CPAP or "Continuous Positive Airway Pressure" is the number one medical treatment for sleep apnea for good reason. Obstructive Sleep Apnea patients are medical-train-wreck passengers surging for a place to crash. Sleep Apnea is a killer.

Sleep apnea is a medical condition that causes a person's airway to close while sleeping. The main signs are snoring, waking up gagging and to completely stop breathing when asleep. If you or anyone you know has these traits, chances are the reason is sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea may cause or advance medical problems such as

· High Blood Pressure

· Diabetes

· Obesity

· Kidney Failure

· Liver Damage

· Nerve Disorders such as Seizures and Epilepsy

· Strokes or "Cerebrovascular Accident" (CVA)

Plus if these don't end you then this medical villain also decreases oxygen in the blood flowing to the heart which can cause:

· Irregular Heart Beat

· Chest Pain

· Heart Attack or "Myocardial infarction" (MI)

Yes that's right, sleep apnea can cause:

· Death or "Eternal Dirt Nap" (EDN)

What's more, this sleepy-time drowning also causes "temporary brain damage" from decreased oxygen to the brain. That's what my Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) Doctor said when I was diagnosed with it and what I told my wife just before she was struck by a fit of eye-rolling. It is easy to see why doctors are quick to recommend CPAP machines and masks.

There are alternatives to CPAP therapy. Surgery is the most extreme and expensive. Surgical correction of sleep apnea is not a guaranteed fix as any good ENT Doctor will tell you.

The most basic surgical correction will remove tonsils and adenoids, if you still have them, and may cut out the uvula. You ask, "The WHAT?" The little pink-thingy hanging down in the back of the throat. Do you need it? Not to live but one of the functions of the uvula is to stop food from spilling past your esophagus, the mouth to stomach grocery pipe, and into your trachea or your "wind pipe". Nice. Yeah a uvula helps keep you from choking every time you eat or drink something. I'll keep mine, thanks.

There are non-surgical alternatives to CPAP therapy that improve breathing, health and well-being. CPAP does work and some estimate it as 99% effective, if you can tolerate it. If not, you should seek another answer. Not using CPAP is a bad decision which wrecks havoc on your health. It is important to find documented cases of alternative treatment success. Proven. Names and numbers that is. Why? Because oxygen is important.

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Why Sleep Is So Important and How to Get The Sleep You Need

Do you often feel groggy when you wake up in the morning or sleepy during the day? Well, you are not alone! A National Sleep Foundation Poll showed that a majority of adult Americans experience sleep problems. That's not surprising given our world of smart phones, the internet and 24/7 access to news and entertainment. In this article, I explain why sleep is so important for your health and well-being and I give you 10 practical tips for getting a good night's rest. Wishing you pleasant dreams!

8 benefits of a good night's sleep

You'll Feel Better- people who sleep well tend to be less grumpy and have a lower chance of developing mood swings and depression.

You'll Have More Energy- more ZZZs at night translate into more get-up-and-go the next day.

You'll Think More Clearly- sleep helps your ability to concentrate and remember, so you will be less likely to make mistakes.

You'll Be More Productive- you may think you can get more done by cutting back on sleep, but limited sleep actually decreases your ability to complete tasks efficiently.

You'll Weigh Less- research from the University of Michigan suggests that an extra hour of sleep each night may help sleep-deprived people lose up to 14 lbs in one year. Possible reasons why: extra sleep replaces snacking and too little sleep can increase your appetite and promote fat storage.

You'll improve the function of your immune system- darkness triggers the release of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep and wake cycles. Melatonin also helps promote production of immune cells and can also block the growth of certain types of cancer.

You'll make your heart healthier- sleep helps keep blood pressure and cholesterol lower, which in turn lowers the risk of heart disease.

You'll decrease your risk of developing diabetes- blood sugar levels are more regular in people who get enough sleep than in those that are sleep-deprived.

Now that you know the benefits, here's what you can do....

Top Ten Tips for better sleep

Turn in 8 hours before your morning wake-up time most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night, so be sure to give yourself enough time for adequate rest. Schedule sleep time into your daily calendar and you'll be more likely to do it. Keep your bedtime and wake-up time consistent, even on week-ends. Trying to catch up by sleeping in on the week-end can throw off your internal clock and make you even groggier.

Wind down at least ½ hour before bed- turn off the computer and TV. Quiet your mind by taking some slow, deep breaths, reading or listening to soft music.

Turn off all lights in your bedroom and remove or shut off any electronic devices that emit light- even with your eyes closed, light inhibits the hormone melatonin which is needed for sleep.

Keep your bedroom cool- like darkness, cooler temperatures activate sleep-inducing melatonin.

Block external noise- a sound machine that simulates falling rain or produces white noise can solve the problem of outside traffic or barking dogs.

Keep your bedroom a work-free zone- a stress free area will help you to relax come bedtime.

Exercise! But not too late in the day- exercise, especially cardio, improves the length and quality of sleep. Just make sure your work-out ends at least 4 hours before bedtime, so that the natural body temperature elevation that accompanies exercise has time to decrease and does not interfere with sleep.

Go caffeine-free after 2 PM- coffee, tea, or soda later in the day can keep you up at night. Eliminate alcohol- although a nightcap may help you fall asleep, it will increase the number of times you wake at night.

Stay in bed if you wake up at night- keep lights off and try some deep breathing or imagine a peaceful place. If you still can't get back to sleep, do something quiet and relaxing, like reading or gentle stretching.

If you are getting 7 -8 hours of sleep each night and still feel tired during the day, speak to your doctor, who can determine if you may have a sleep disorder or other underlying condition that may be interfering with your sleep.

Reina Marino, M.D.

Dr. Marino specializes in Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine in the Philadelphia area. She uses nutrition, stress management and exercise to help people lose weight, increase their energy, and decrease their stress so that they can look and feel like their younger selves and bring their best to their families, friends and work.

Find out more at http://drreinamarino.com/. You can contact Dr. Marino at rm@drreinamarino.com or by calling 267-519-0810

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