Welcome to Sleep Disorder
Obstructive Sllep Apnea Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
Sleep Apnea - An Extremely Common and Dangerous Sleep Disorder
from: Donald SaundersSleep apnea refers to a sleep disorder characterized by the interruption of breathing during sleep, such that respiration stops for ten or more seconds, cutting off valuable oxygen supplies to the brain. This interruption of the body’s breathing cycle can recur hundreds of times each night, with potentially fatal results. Even more alarming, sleep apnea, the most dangerous of all sleep disorders, also represents one of the most commonly identified sleep disorders, affecting as many as eighteen million Americans each year.
This condition can be divided into two primary categories. “Central sleep apnea”, caused by a neurological malfunction in which the brain somehow disrupts the normal signal to breathe and “Obstructive sleep apnea”, characterized by the excessive relaxation or the collapse of muscles around the windpipe, which in turn causes windpipe obstruction. Both forms involve the frequent cessation of breathing and the temporary suspension of the oxygen supply to the brain, putting sleep apnea sufferers at a significantly greater risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
Diagnosing sleep apnea can be difficult. Snoring, one of the most common symptoms associated with sleep apnea (resulting in many people referring to this as “the snoring disease”), often leads to an erroneous diagnosis of the condition. In fact, snoring can be associated with a variety of other sleep disorders and conditions unrelated to sleep apnea.
When the brain senses a lack of oxygen, as a result of an obstructed windpipe, it reacts by waking the suffer sufficiently to start breathing again, often causing snoring or sometimes coughing. As a result, sleep apnea suffers enjoy a very poor quality of sleep and wake up feeling even more tired than before they went to bed.
Feelings of exhaustion, fatigue and an overwhelming desire to sleep during the day, known as excessive daytime sleepiness, characterize sleep apnea; especially if seen in conjunction with other symptoms such as morning headaches, noticeable lethargy, loss of interest in sex, forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.
The ongoing exhaustion and physical fatigue brought on by undiagnosed or untreated sleep apnea can also lead to the onset of serious psychological symptoms such as depression, irritability and changes in mood and behavior.
If you suspect that you are suffering from sleep apnea, you should seek immediate medical guidance and, if necessary, arrange the appropriate tests.
There are a variety of effective treatments available for both obstructive and central sleep apnea. Most patients benefit significantly from one or more of these treatments, which primarily involve simple behavioral adjustments like changing or modifying your sleeping position. Sufferers of mild obstructive sleep apnea as a result of persistent nasal congestion may simply require a course of decongestants, while more severe sleep apnea may need the use of an oxygen mask to stimulate consistent breathing while asleep. In severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea, certain surgical procedures can help to restore effective and consistent respiration during sleep, although sufferers should proceed down this particular route with caution, as surgery can often lead to added complications.
One important point to note is that, because of the risk of potentially fatal respiratory arrest, sleep apnea sufferers should refrain from taking sleeping pills or artificial sleep enhancers because of the associated respiratory dangers.
Natural sleep remedies provide an effective complement to medically prescribed treatments and can certainly help sufferers to enjoy a better night's sleep. Herbal remedies designed to improve the quality and duration of sleep can assist patients in managing and even reducing the excessive daytime sleepiness otherwise brought on by sleep apnea.
Similarly, the use of aromatherapy, chromatherapy and guided relaxation and meditation can help to reduce the anxiety and insomnia sleep apnea patients experience as they learn to manage their sleep disorder.
Copyright © 2005 Donald Saunders Help Me To Sleep Affiliates
About the Author
Donald Saunders is the author of a number of health related publications including:
"Help Me To Sleep - A Guide To Natural Sleep Remedies", "Jet Lag - An Alternative Approach", "Shift Work Insomnia" and "The Art of Meditation - A Guide To Meditation, Breathing and Relaxation Techniques"
For further details please visit Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sllep Apnea News
Treating Sleep Apnea in Kids Improves Behavior, Quality of Life - WebMD
Treating Sleep Apnea in Kids Improves Behavior, Quality of Life WebMD 10, 2012 -- Kids with obstructive sleep apnea are often tired by day, have trouble paying attention, and have other behavioral problems all because they are not getting enough quality sleep at night. A new study may help turn that around -- without ... Sleep Breathing Machine Shows Clear Benefits in Children with Sleep Apnea PAP therapy improves neurobehavioral outcomes in children with OSA |
Eos Sleep Delivers a Good Night's Rest to San Francisco, CA - Sacramento Bee
Eos Sleep Delivers a Good Night's Rest to San Francisco, CA Sacramento Bee By Eos Sleep SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 9, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Eos Sleep, the nation's foremost medical practice for diagnosing and treating the many causes of sleep apnea, sinusitis and nasal obstruction, is proud to announce the opening of its newest ... |
Is That Sleepiness During Pregnancy Normal or a Sign of Sleep Apnea? - HealthCanal.com
Is That Sleepiness During Pregnancy Normal or a Sign of Sleep Apnea? HealthCanal.com Some of them however, could be suffering more than normal fatigue associated with their pregnancy; they may have developed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a periodic cessation of breathing during sleep. If left untreated, OSA poses a variety of health ... FMCSA Delivers 11 Sleep Apnea Recommendations |
Surgical robot used to treat obstructive sleep apnea - Leader-Telegram
Surgical robot used to treat obstructive sleep apnea Leader-Telegram Dr. Robert DeFatta, left, an ear, nose and throat specialist, used a newer surgical approach to treat Dorothy Bruhling of Chippewa Falls at Sacred Heart Hospital for obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing stops and starts during sleep. |
Michael Simmons, DMD to Speak on the Subject Sleep Disordered Breathing at The ... - PR Web (press release)
Michael Simmons, DMD to Speak on the Subject Sleep Disordered Breathing at The ... PR Web (press release) In the conference, Dr. Simmons will speak to dentists and physicians on the subject of “Screening of OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) by the Dentist and current trends in dental school.” Sleep disordered breathing affects over 20 percent of the population ... |
Robotic surgery improves sleep apnea - WANE
 WANE | Robotic surgery improves sleep apnea WANE NEW YORK - (CBS) - As many as 12 million Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, which can cause all kinds of health problems ranging from depression to impotence to a heart attack. A new surgery uses robotic technology to help people get some ... Robotic sleep apnea surgery helps open airways |
FMCSA Medical Review Board, MCSAC suggests strict apnea rules - Land Line Magazine
FMCSA Medical Review Board, MCSAC suggests strict apnea rules Land Line Magazine The joint panel was slated to discuss recommendations for sleep apnea and electronic on-board recorders. Because both boards are advisory in nature, the joint recommendations may be proposed for a rule, ignored, or amended and later presented. |