What Is Sleep Apnea?

What Is Sleep Apnea?
By Jason Rickard

Sleep apnea is one of the major sleep disorders. Apnea is the
condition of ‘not respiring’, which may return to normal within
a few seconds. Apnea can be voluntary or involuntary. The
involuntary attacks of apnea are considered to be dangerous
since it affects the oxygen level in the body. The episodes of
apnea occurring during sleep are called sleep apnea. The sleep
apnea becomes a check for normal sleeping and the person will
wake up due to the decreased levels of oxygen in the body.
However, the person can normally get back to sleep, as the
breathing will soon become normal. However, the quality of sleep
will be affected, which may lead to many serious conditions.

Sleep apnea is a progressive disease, which may increase its
frequency if left untreated. Studies have shown that in severe
conditions a patient may experience even over a hundred
recurrent episodes of apnea, during their sleep. The most
interesting fact about is that it will be recognized
more easily by any bedmate due to the occurrence of associated
disorders such as loud snoring.

The symptoms of include abrupt awakenings from
sleep, shortness of breath, episodes of breathing cessation,
frequent urination at night, choking or gasping during sleep,
dry throat as you wake up, insomnia, excessive daytime
sleepiness, morning headache, feeling irritable, concentration
problems, mood swings, depression, and personality changes. As
the disease progress, it may lead to severe fatal physiological
complications such as irregular heart beats since the oxygen
depletion affects the normal functioning of the heart. The
diagnosis and treatment at an early stage will help to avoid
such complications.

A treatment is formulated,

based on the underlying
cause of the disease. The causes for are mainly
categorized in two ways, obstructive and central
sleep apnea. Obstructive is the most common reason,
and it occurs due to any blockage in the normal air passage.
Central is caused because of malfunctioning of the
central nervous system, which controls the breathing procedure.
A third type, called mixed is also a possibility,
which manifests the combined symptoms of obstructive and central
apneas.

Sleep apnea includes many effective treatment strategies such
as medications, external appliances, and surgical procedures.
The mechanical devices include continuous Positive Airway
Pressure, Variable Positive Airway Pressure, Automatic Positive
Airway Pressure, and Mandibular advancement splint. Surgical
procedures such as tonsilectomy, adenoidectomy and
uvulopalatopharyngoplasty are also proven treatments for sleep
apnea. Neurostimulator medications are prescribed for central
sleep apnea, however, behavioral changes and good sleep
practices can be the primary aid to relieve from sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a serious disorder, which requires medical
attention. The seriousness of disease can be due to sleep
deprivation and oxygen deprivation.

About the Author: Jason Rickard is the owner of
http://www.yourfavouriteshop.com - Offering White Noise and
Relaxation CDs - Visit http://www.hapahapa.com for more articles

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