A few Myths about Sleep Apnea.

There are three types of Sleep Apnea, Central (CSA), Obstructive (OSA) or mixed Sleep Apnea, a mixture of both Central and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. You will probably be unaware of your condition despite the type of Sleep Apnea you suffer from.Below are 5 falsely believed myths about the sleep condition Sleep Apnea, from the symptoms all the way to the diagnosis of the condition to the treatment.1.Sleep Apnea is just snoring: Myth Sleep Apnea and snoring are often confused as the same thing but there are noticeable differences between the two. As mentioned, people with Sleep Apnea can stop breathing up to 400 times a night. The pauses or "Apnea's" can last from 10 to 30 seconds, which are often followed with a snort which is why the condition sometimes get confused by snoring. These pauses severely disrupt your sleep making you feel tired and drained the next day.2.Sleep Apnea is not dangerous: Myth The various breaks in sleep can severely disrupt your natural sleep pattern, making your body and mind pay the price. People with Sleep Apnea often wake up breathless, which can be very traumatic and as a whole can put a lot of strain on the heart and cardiovascular system. The breaks in breathing can also reduce blood oxygen levels severely. Untreated Sleep Apnea has been linked to various car accidents, work-related injuries and strokes.3.Losing weight can help: Fact A person who is obese or overweight is more likely to suffer with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This is because of airway's surrounding muscle not being well toned causing your airway to be very narrow. Just by losing a fraction of your weight can drastically reduce your symptoms. If you smoke, this can also increase the symptoms of OSA, so ask your doctor for the best products to help you quit.4. Only older people get Sleep Apnea: Myth Doctors believe that over 17 million people in the USA suffer from Sleep Apnea. However you are more likely suffer from the condition if you are over the age of 40, people of all ages, including young children have been diagnosed with this sleep disorder. Although if you are male and obese, you are more likely to develop OSA. Sleep Apnea also tends to run through families.5. CPAP is an effective treatment: Fact CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. A CPAP machine blows a strong current of air into your body through a mask which will keep your airway open whilst you sleep. The sleep apnea mask is considered to be the most effective non-surgical procedure for alleviating the symptoms of Sleep Apnea. CPAP is the most common method of treatment for adults with OSA. It has also been proved to be a very effective treatment.Now that a few myths have been corrected, if you think that you or maybe somebody you know suffer from Sleep Apnea, don't hesitate and visit your family doctor for advice on what to do next.