When it comes to the different sleep disorders, sleep apnea is among the most dangerous. People with sleep apnea actually stop breathing during the night for extended moments. This happens repeatedly during the night. The result in severe cases can be death, though in most cases it’s severe fatigue and not feeling rested.
The good news is that sleep apnea is fairly well understood at this point and it can be handled using the right techniques. Once sleep apnea is diagnosed, doctors will design a treatment plan that should help alleviate the impacted breathing. This lets sufferers feel much better when they wake up in the morning. The lack of fatigue can improve all aspects of a person’s day. Sleep apnea is serious, but knowledge can help sufferers get assistance quicker.
There’s actually multiple different types of sleep apnea. THe most common form has the throat muscles relax as the person sleeps and block the airways. This is referred to as obstructive sleep apnea. Sometimes there’s an issue with the brain. It sends incorrect signals to muscles that help a person breathe. Since this comes from the brain, it’s called central sleep apnea. Sometimes people have both forms of sleep apnea, which is known as complex sleep apnea syndrome.
There’s plenty of risk factors which can suggest a person may end up with sleep apnea. Thicker necks often have narrower airways. Being obese or overweight can make a large difference. Narrow airways, age, use of alcohol, smoking and other medical conditions also may suggest a predisposition to sleep apnea.
When someone suspects they might have sleep apnea, they should always go to their doctor. They can assist based on the signs and symptoms that a person is displaying. From there, it’s likely that a sleep evaluation or sleep study will be needed.
A sleep study is an overnight study in which a person will be hooked up to many sensors. These sensors will be used to help determine the length and quality of sleep a person gets during the night. It will measure if their body stops breathing and for how long. With enough data, it’s possible to diagnose a person with sleep apnea.
There’s a lot of treatments that can assist people with sleep apnea. Lifestyle changes can sometimes be enough to reduce the effects of mild to moderate cases. There may be some treatment for allergies or other underlying causes of sleep apnea.
The most common treatment for sleep apnea seems to be a CPAP machine. This machine is used in moderate cases ranging up to severe cases of sleep apnea. There’s a variety of different types of sleep apnea CPAP machines and masks. The point of the CPAP machine is to put pressure into your airways. This air pressure ensures that the airways remain open and do not close up during sleep. From there, it’s easy to breathe. Some people struggle to adapt to using a CPAP mask. The different types of masks can help to find one that is right for each person. They have varying levels of security with straps, but still have the ability to dislodge quickly in an emergency.
CPAP machines are not inexpensive. They can run into the thousands of dollars at times. There’s some good news in that regard though. Health insurance will almost always cover the cost of a CPAP machine. This is a serious condition, so equipment for it should be covered under any remotely reasonable health plan.
