What´s Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder that can interrupt someone's breathing at night. When someone has sleep apnea, they will stop breathing repeatedly as they try to sleep. In some cases, people with severe sleep apnea will stop breathing hundreds of times a night. Every time they stop breathing, they are denying their body and brain the oxygen that they need.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
There are two main types of sleep apnea, although it is possible to have a blend of both conditions. The main types of sleep apnea are:
Central Sleep Apnea: This type of sleep apnea occurs when the brain forgets to tell the muscles to breath. This is generally caused by some type of problem in the respiratory control center. Basically, the central nervous …show more content…
There are many people with sleep apnea who never snore. Likewise, there are many people who snore and never have sleep apnea. Snoring alone is not a sign that you have sleep apnea for sure. One of the best ways to tell is to look at how you feel during the day. Typical snoring will not make you feel fatigued after a long night of rest. Meanwhile, sleep apnea will prevent your body from getting enough rest, so you will feel sleepy during the daytime.
Who Is at Risk?
This condition can affect anyone of any gender or age. The most common risk factors for sleep apnea include:
- Being overweight
- Having a large tongue, large tonsils or a small jaw bone
- Being male
- Having allergies, a deviated septum or sinus issues obstructing your nasal passages
- Having a family history of sleep apnea
- Being over the age of 40
- Having gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Having a neck size bigger than 17 inches for men or 16 inches for …show more content…
Once you have been officially diagnosed, your doctor will help you find the right treatment option.
There are some things that you can do at home to reduce the chances that you will experience sleep apnea. Losing weight, quitting smoking and getting exercise will help reduce sleep apnea symptoms. Likewise, you should reduce your intake of sedatives, alcohol or sleeping pills because these can relax the throat and interfere with breathing. Sleeping on your side can help prevent your airway from becoming obstructed. Likewise, you may want to try a nasal dilator or breathing strips to open up your nasal passages before bedtime.
For severe sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend surgerical procedures, continuous positive airflow treatment (CPAP), dental implants or other implants. Out of these options, CPAP is the most common treatment prescribed for moderate to severe sleep apnea. This treatment consists of a mask that is worn over your mouth and nose. The machine pumps air through the mask so that you receive a continuous stream of air flow as you sleep. In recent years, these machines have become more comfortable and lighter, so you may not realize that you are even wearing
What Is Sleep Apnea?
There are two main types of sleep apnea, although it is possible to have a blend of both conditions. The main types of sleep apnea are:
Central Sleep Apnea: This type of sleep apnea occurs when the brain forgets to tell the muscles to breath. This is generally caused by some type of problem in the respiratory control center. Basically, the central nervous …show more content…
There are many people with sleep apnea who never snore. Likewise, there are many people who snore and never have sleep apnea. Snoring alone is not a sign that you have sleep apnea for sure. One of the best ways to tell is to look at how you feel during the day. Typical snoring will not make you feel fatigued after a long night of rest. Meanwhile, sleep apnea will prevent your body from getting enough rest, so you will feel sleepy during the daytime.
Who Is at Risk?
This condition can affect anyone of any gender or age. The most common risk factors for sleep apnea include:
- Being overweight
- Having a large tongue, large tonsils or a small jaw bone
- Being male
- Having allergies, a deviated septum or sinus issues obstructing your nasal passages
- Having a family history of sleep apnea
- Being over the age of 40
- Having gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Having a neck size bigger than 17 inches for men or 16 inches for …show more content…
Once you have been officially diagnosed, your doctor will help you find the right treatment option.
There are some things that you can do at home to reduce the chances that you will experience sleep apnea. Losing weight, quitting smoking and getting exercise will help reduce sleep apnea symptoms. Likewise, you should reduce your intake of sedatives, alcohol or sleeping pills because these can relax the throat and interfere with breathing. Sleeping on your side can help prevent your airway from becoming obstructed. Likewise, you may want to try a nasal dilator or breathing strips to open up your nasal passages before bedtime.
For severe sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend surgerical procedures, continuous positive airflow treatment (CPAP), dental implants or other implants. Out of these options, CPAP is the most common treatment prescribed for moderate to severe sleep apnea. This treatment consists of a mask that is worn over your mouth and nose. The machine pumps air through the mask so that you receive a continuous stream of air flow as you sleep. In recent years, these machines have become more comfortable and lighter, so you may not realize that you are even wearing