What Is Sleep Apnea?

Have you heard about a condition called Sleep Apnea? I bet you haven't heard of it in your entire life. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which pauses of breathing occurs or an extremely abnormal low breathing during sleep. Each breathing pause is called apnea, which can last a few seconds to minutes and occurs 5 to 30 times during a single sleep.

Sleep apnea occurs because of two main factors - airway obstructions or due from brain stimulation to stop breathing. The simplest form of sleep apnea is snoring where breathing is interrupted due to a physical block in the airflow.

Regardless of factors, people who suffers from this condition are not aware that they are having breathing pauses at night. The condition is always recognized by other people that actually sees the problem. Usually, sleep apnea may occur in years without treatment and can happen during daytime sleep associated with mental fatigue from sleep disturbances. Sleep apnea also caused the blood pressure to erupt and sometimes death.

An individual can suffer from sleep apnea once its breathing airway muscles becomes narrow and inflamed, making a partial block to airflow. The result will be less oxygen in the blood which can be stimulated in the brain that transmits energy impulses thus, awakening and re-establishment of airways happens.

Is sleep apnea treatable? The most logical treatment for this condition is lifestyle change and avoid getting too much fat. Obesity is one cause of airway blockage that cause snoring and apnea so you better control and maintain your body weight. Also, sleep on a side position to prevent the tongue and palate from falling backwards into the throat, thus preventing any blockage in the airways.

Avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills can help prevent sleep apnea. For those who suffers from severe sleep apnea, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device can help the airway open during sleep through a pressurized air flow into the throat. CPAP is a very effective type of treatment for sleep apnea but, many find it uncomfortable and tried other means of treatments.

Other treatment called Oral Appliance Therapy can be applied to treat apnea. Oral Appliance Therapy is performed by dentists that are expert in sleep disorders. A custom made mouthpiece that positions the lower jaw forward, thus making an opening in the airway.

Sleep apnea can happen hundred times in a single night. If you know you have this condition, it is just right that you consult your doctor immediately for proper treatment. Sleep apnea does not only results to sleep deprivation and disturbances, it can also affect the cognitive and motor functions of the brain. Consult your doctor once you know you have sleep apnea and prevent further health risks by normalizing your airflow during sleep.