Many people choose to disregard sleep apnea, thinking it's just about snoring. Unfortunately, snoring is just a symptom; it only mirrors the irregularities happening inside the body during an episode of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea, which is characterized by breath pauses usually lasting for a few seconds to minutes, is foremost a sleep disorder that requires proper attention.

If ignored, it can result in a number of problems, many of which are too serious they may not look like they have been caused by a seemingly simple sleep disorder. But the truth is sleep apnea is not as simple as people think. On regular occasions, it can be troubling, but in some instances, it can be life-threatening. Not knowing the dangers of sleep apnea can place a person at a heightened risk, so it pays to be aware of them.

The dangers

There are two main effects of sleep apnea, both of which may result in dangerous conditions and events.

1. Poor quality of sleep.

People with sleep apnea have shallow sleep and experience frequent waking. They are therefore deprived of the therapeutic and restful sleep the body needs to restore the lost energy and refresh the mind. The following morning, they wake up feeling tired, annoyed, and restless.

The sleep disturbance caused by sleep apnea also often leads to excessive daytime sleepiness. Some may fall asleep while doing their regular routines like eating or talking. However, it can be dangerous if they are caught driving. Researches have tallied a number of car crashes among people with sleep apnea, confirming they are more prone to car accidents than other drivers and motorists.

Lack of concentration, which normally results in poor performance at work and in school, is also observed from people with sleep apnea. They may also have memory and learning difficulties.

People with sleep apnea may as well experience psychological problems such as anxiety, irritability, mood and behavior changes, and depression. Gain weight may also be apparent since lack of sleep essentially boosts the appetite.

2. Oxygen deprivation.

Many people are unaware that sleep apnea interrupts a body function as important as oxygen saturation. Oxygen is vital in the body and when absent, it creates a strain in the cardiovascular system. This happens because as oxygen level drops due to breath pauses, the cardiovascular system, which is responsible in delivering oxygen through the blood, tends to work harder. The effect of which is high blood pressure, a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease, stroke, and heart attack.

In fact, studies showed that people with sleep apnea are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular problems, especially those with untreated sleep apnea. Another study said that sudden death due to irregular heart rhythm during sleeping hours is more likely to happen among people with sleep apnea. Such death usually occurs in waking hours among people without the sleep disorder. 

There are two sure ways to counter the dangers of sleep apnea?having oneself checked and treated. As it seems, this sleep disorder is more damaging and serious than what others seem to think. It can make everyday life a little troubling and, worse, can claim life in the most subtle ways.

With sleep apnea, there is no room for taking chances. So if you think your body shows sign of the sleep disorder, see a sleep specialist at once and undergo treatments.

You must not disregard any ailment that you feel like your body is suffering from. This is very true if the condition is already getting in the way for you to do the tasks that are required for you to finish. This is the case for people who have the sleeping disorder known as sleep apnea. They are no longer getting the right amount of rest and as a result, they suffer from various forms of side effects.

The latter can be very risky, depending on the situation, the age and other health problems of the person who has this ailment. The word apnea is a Greek term that means to breathe. So when you have this condition, it means that there is something that is blocking your airway that causes your breathing to stop at irregular periods as you rest.

The situation causes your brain to act immediately as you suffer from the disorder. When you breathing stops, your brain sends signals and goes into a defensive mode to force you to wake up and breathe.

Signs and Clues

How do you know that you actually have this condition? You will be able to determine the factor through the sound of the snore. The one who is suffering from this makes snoring that sounds more like a grunt. This is how you will perceive that they are finding it hard to breathe and they are trying to gasp for air.

It will continuously go on and on throughout the night. The result of this condition is that you will not get the right amount of sleep that you need to feel refreshed when you wake up the next day. There are five stages of sleep and the last one or the REM or Rapid Eye Movement is known as the peak or the point where you will fall into the deepest part of your slumber. Just imagine many nights and days without actually reaching this point.

The most risky part of this condition is the fact that you are not getting the right amount of oxygen at night. If this will not be resolved, this may lead to high blood pressure and serious heart conditions. If you already have these health ailments, you are only making it all worse when you are suffering from this sleeping disorder.

Act on Your Condition

You have to know as much information regarding this condition so that you can actually start to do something about it. If you still cannot find time to consult a professional regarding your condition, you may want to conduct some research about it. You can never go wrong if you will have some knowledge about what you can do and what you are going through.

When you already have basic idea of your disorder, you can begin addressing such condition. If you are overweight, it will help if you start losing the excess pounds. Most sufferers of this condition are also overweight. If this is the case, you should start acting seriously about your weight by exercising regularly and eating healthy and right.

You can also resort to some dental procedures to help resolve the problem. If your sleep apnea condition is already worse, you can opt to undergo surgical procedures to remove whatever is blocking your airways as you sleep.

If you are suffering from any ailments, you must not feel contented that you know that you have it but you are not doing anything to alleviate the condition. This is very true when you have something like sleep apnea because this can cause other problems in all aspects of your life. Just imagine your every day without having a good night's rest. You will not have the energy to do the things that you have to with the required energy and alertness that people are expecting from you.

Apnea is a Greek word that actually means to breathe. When you have this disorder, the airways that you use to be able to breathe are being blocked. As a result, you gasp for air and cannot breathe right. This happens several times during the night. This is why you cannot get into the highest stage of sleep where you will feel most refreshed and this is the REM of Rapid Eye Movement.

You will easily detect someone who has troubles with their breathing as they try to rest. Their snore sounds more of a grunt that means that they are gasping for air. As they lose breathes throughout the night, their brain goes into defensive mode and it tries to wake them up. This is why you will find yourself mostly awake and may have trouble going back to sleep.

The fact that you are not breathing right makes this more troubling. This means that you are not getting the right amount of oxygen each night. When this happens, you are opening yourself to develop high blood pressure and other heart complications. If you already have these ailments, the risks that these will become worse are higher.

Knowledge is Power

The best thing that you can do when you start feeling like you are suffering from the disorder is to try to find out as many information about it. This can be achieved by reading about the matter through the available resources. You can start by browsing the internet and various websites about the topic. If you want to meet people who have dealt with the same situation or those who are still suffering from this, you can seek out online forums and join in the discussions about this disorder.

You can throw in your questions and there are people who can try to answer your problems or recommend solutions to these. It will be very helpful if this is going to happen because at least, you know and you will feel that you are not alone with the battle.

Once you have gained the right information that can point you to the direction that you must take about your disorder, you must act on the situation as fast as you can. This ailment happens more often on those who are overweight. You can start losing those extra pounds if this is the case. You will not only solve your dilemma regarding the sleep condition but you will also be able to help your body become more fit and healthy.

You can also ask the right professionals about the dental devices that can be utilized in your condition to help you breathe as you sleep. The purpose of such tool is for the blockage to remain open while you are trying to rest.

If all else fails and your condition is getting more serious, you may want to ask around about the surgical procedures that you can do to help you get better and surpass your sleep apnea disorder.

It is not a very likely to have sleep apnea, but most of the time, people could not help but contract it because the disorder is hereditary. Although the condition could lead to some other more serious and severe ailments, sufferers are always advised to attain effective treatment as much as possible. Yes, sleep apnea could be treated. However, treatment does not involve medicines in the form of pills, syrups, or injections.

The most usual and considered among the most effective treatments for sleep apnea include the use of breathing devices. In definition, sleep apnea is a condition that happens when the airway passages and surrounding muscles contract to reduce inflow of air breathed during sleep. It is easy to infer that devices that could help keep the air passages open is a viable treatment option.

The most common breathing device used for sleep apnea treatment is CPAP or continuous positive airway pressure. This device is most recommended for people who are suffering from moderate or severe sleep apnea. In general, the device uses a special mask that is customized to fit over a person's nose and mouth. It works by gently blowing air into the throat, aiding the entry and passage of air into the airways. Through this action, air is pressed against the airway wall. At the same time, pressure of air is also set so it would be just enough to stop and prevent blockage and narrowing of airways during sleep.

Breathing devices could help stop loud and even minimal snoring. This way, CPAP could be used by people with sleep apnea and those who do not suffer from the condition but are annoying during sleep due to loud snoring. However, be reminded that sleep apnea problems could return when use of CPAP is stopped or when it used incorrectly.

People who prefer CPAP usually are turned off by several requirements. Because CPAP could be complex equipment, there is a need to call a technician to setup, install, and adjust the equipment into the mouth or nose. The technician would need to make specific adjustments based on the orders of the doctor. After an initial setup session, you may still need to call back the technician so that the device could be appropriately adjusted for best results.

Another setback is the possible side effects of using CPAP. Such unlikely effects include stuffing or drying of the nose, onset of sore eyes, irritation of facial skin, and headaches. If the device is not properly setup, installed, or adjusted, it could cause stomach bloating and unnecessary discomfort. If any of the side effects appear, it is best if the CPAP user would approach a specialist, a nursing staff, or a CPAP technician. Side effects could be reduced or eliminated upon the correction of any error. As for stuffy and runny nose, nasal sprays may provide instant and more effective relief.

To date, there are several types of CPAP masks and machines available in the market. It would be best if you would approach your doctor and tell him your dissatisfaction if you are not comfortable or happy in using the device. Other treatment options for sleep apnea could be more effective and more comfortable for you. In general, most sleep apnea sufferers' start feeling better upon CPAP use for treatment.

If you think that you have the disorder known as sleep apnea, you must not disregard that feeling by doing something about it fast. As long as you ignore the symptoms, you are exposing yourself to more and bigger risks that may occur in the future. This can become potent because this causes you to stop breathing as you sleep. As a result, you will never get to the highest peak of the sleeping activity, which is the REM or Rapid Eye Movement. This stage lets you feel well-rested and refreshed. Just imagine what will happen if you will continuously feel like you lack sleep or that you only lay in bed but your mind did not actually rest.

Conduct a Research

Do not just sit there while waiting for something to become better without actually doing anything about it. You need to look at the situation as something serious that if you don't act on it, it will become unmanageable. And you don't want to reach that point when your only option left to resolve the problem is to undergo surgery.

How do you research about the topic? This can easily be achieved by going online and browsing various sites that cater about the subject. Read about every detail that is available to enlighten you about this. You can also try to look for personal blogs of those who are telling their experiences about the matter.

If you like, you can look for online forums that contain discussions about this so that you can meet people who have been through the same symptoms and feelings that you are currently getting. You can ask them about various questions that may have been bothering you for quite a time already. They can be like a support group that can lead you to the right way as to what you can do and recommend you the right professionals that can help you get out of this situation.

Possible Risks

As time passes that you have this kind of sleeping disorder, you are exposing yourself to higher health risks. You need to identify that you actually have this to start with. This can be seen by having a different kind of snore that sounds more like a grunt than the regular kind. You will also stop breathing for short periods of time many times throughout the night. As a result, your brain will help you by acting out and trying to wake you up to remind you to breathe. This is why you can never reach the highest stage of sleep, which is the Rapid Eye Movement. When you wake up in the morning, you will feel as if you haven't slept at all.

The situation leads to other problems like frequent morning headaches. You may also develop memory problems through time. At night, you will find yourself urinating frequently. You'll suffer from mood swings, depression and some men say that they get impotent as a result of this condition. You will also feel very tired in the morning and sleepy that is why you cannot perform the tasks that you have to accomplish.

This can really affect you in many ways that is why you need to find solutions to the problem before it becomes too late. You may want to consult a professional at this point about what can be done to help you with what you are suffering from and so that you will find out more about sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is one of the more common types of sleep disorder. Many people who suffer from it may not be totally aware of the presence of the condition. This is because sleeping people are not normally aware of that is happening as they sleep. In most cases, it is the bed partner or room mates of an affected person who could tell if he is suffering from the condition. Sleep apnea does not pose immediate and very severe threats, but it is still considered a very dangerous condition. What actually cause the problem?

Your throat muscles are responsible for keeping the airway in your throat stiff and open when you are awake. This helps keep the lungs open for air breathing. During sleep, the same muscles get more relaxed. Relaxed throat muscles usually keeps airway open so that air could still flow into the lungs. However, at times, the airways could get blocked or narrowed especially during sleep. Such is the condition when there is sleep apnea.

There are several specific reasons why the airway passage gets obstructed or blocked during sleep. First, the throat muscles and even the tongue get more relaxed than normal. Second, tonsils and tongue are naturally larger than normal that they serve as obstruction to opening of your windpipe. Third, if you are overweight, there could be extra soft fat tissues that could thicken your windpipe's wall. This occurrence makes the interior of the airway opening narrow, making it also harder to remain or keep open.

Blocking of the airways during sleep apnea could also be due to the natural shape of your own head and neck. If you have a bony structure in the areas, chances are greater that you could have a smaller than normal airway size in the throat and even in the mouth. Lastly, the aging process could also be factor. Old age could limit the brain's ability to send signals that would keep throat muscles ideally stiff during sleep. Such an occurrence could make airways narrower and eventually collapse.

In general, it is logical that not sufficient air supply flows into the lungs when the airways are partly or fully blocked, especially during sleep. In most cases, such a condition could lead to very loud snoring and to significant decline in your body's blood oxygen level. Be reminded that there could be risks when the oxygen level falls to very dangerous levels.

It could trigger the brain to effectively disturb your sleep. This is a natural reflex to that the upper airway muscled would be kept tight and the windpipe open. Sleep apnea occurs in a few minutes, after which, normal breathing could effectively resume. This is often heralded by a sudden loud choking sound or snort.

It is also natural that frequent drops in your body's oxygen level and at the same time reduced or lack of sleep could trigger unlikely release of natural stress hormones. When this happens, the heart rate is raised and there is increased risk for heart attack, hypertension, stroke, and even irregular heartbeats. Stress hormones could also worsen a prevailing heart failure or ailment.

It is important that sleep apnea be treated or you could develop obesity and diabetes due to significant changes on how the body is using energy.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes a person to stop breathing for brief periods during sleep. These breathing pauses are caused by an obstruction in the airway. Though a person may not remember it, sleep apnea results in frequent awakenings and therefore disruption of sleep.

While it is true that obstructive sleep apnea is a serious and sometimes fatal sleep disorder due to the many complications that come with it, it shouldn't be a cause of panic. There are ways to cope with it. If you are one of the millions of people with sleep apnea, here are some things you can do:

1. Use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) upon the prescription of your doctor. CPAP is used in providing air pressure to keep your airway open and therefore avoid sleep disturbances. It also diminishes the possibility of snoring, so your bed partner can equally have a restful sleep. CPAP is a bit uncomfortable to use though, but you can make some adjustments to get use to it. Use nasal pillows, for instance.

Nasal pillows are fitted into the nostrils and eliminate pressure on the nose. You can also use skin moisturizer or other skin products for CPAP users to avoid skin irritation. To keep your jaw locked and the air in, use a chin strap. Don't easily give up on CPAP; instead, ask your doctor for ways to make it more comfortable to use.

2. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused and aggravated by some habits or activities such as drinking and taking sedatives. Lessen your intake; if not totally get rid of them. Quit smoking as well. It will, of course, take some time. However, if you find it hard to kick the habits in the course of time, remind yourself that keeping a healthy lifestyle does not only allow you to sleep peacefully, it can also add years to your life.

3. Keep an open and constant communication with your doctor or specialist. This is so that he can monitor your improvements and can warn you of risks, if there is any. This also allows you to inform him of any problem that may arise. You must keep in mind that the success of treatment and management of obstructive sleep apnea lies partly in the doctor-patient communication.

4. Educate yourself. While you can certainly trust your doctor or specialist to inform you of everything you need to know about your condition, it is best that you research and study on your own. Find out more about the sleep disorder and the associated complications and risks, so you can learn how to live with it, be more tolerant to the treatments, and monitor your own improvements. The supplemental knowledge you obtain can also help you evaluate treatment options.

5. Find and join a support group. In the United States alone, 12 million are estimated to have sleep apnea. It would, therefore, not be too hard to find people who share what you feel and what you have to go through. Support groups not only provide you with moral and emotional encouragement, they can also impart substantial information about obstructive sleep apnea.

However, if you find it rather hard to look for one in your area, you can do your search online.

Whatever the type of sleep apnea is, it certainly could be serious eventually. There could be other problems or ailments caused by continuous suffering from this sleeping disorder. By getting an appropriate and effective treatment, you surely could also improve the overall quality of your life. Treatment could help improve your overall sleeping habit and relieve your daytime tiredness.

If you could curtail the problem, you could also prevent development or onset of heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other health concerns. There are many other ways to deal effectively with sleep apnea so it would not hamper your overall quality of life.

Be watchful about your overall health care needs. It would be appropriate if you would always set appointments to follow up your condition with your doctor. You need to make sure your treatment is truly working. You should advise your doctor immediately if you are having problems or discomfort in continuing the treatment. This is most especially true if you are not very comfortable using mouthpieces and breathing devices like continuous positive way pressure or CPAP. Such a device should constantly be adjusted to fit your size and specifications. You may also not be totally comfortable with it like most other people.

From now on, intend to control your overall weight. It has been noted that sleep apnea is more likely to appear in people with excessive weight or obesity. Some studies also suggest that losing even the slightest amount of weight could bring about significant improvement in snoring and sleep apnea problems. If you are still not overweight, strive harder not to gain weight to the level that is excessive. Remember that body weight could eliminate or worsen sleep apnea, so you better control it to your advantage. Try losing weight as an alternative way of treating sleep apnea.

Be honest to yourself and strive much harder to know more about possible effects of sleep apnea to your daily activities. The condition could prompt your body to release stress hormones during sleep, which could trigger your body to adopt the flight or fight response, and in the process make you worn out.

This is the reason why no matter how long you sleep, if you are suffering from sleep apnea, you would always feel deprived of quality and adequate sleep. Particularly be careful when driving or when operating special heavy machineries in your workplace if you are sleepy.

If you are set to undergo any form of surgical procedure (for other body conditions or ailments), do not fail to tell your surgeon that you are suffering from sleep apnea. This is to give them time and idea about how they could take several other additional steps that would make your airway passage keeping open even during surgery. You would be induced to sleep during operations, so expect several disruptions and abnormal breathing or heartbeat patterns, which might be inappropriately taken or read by the surgical team.

Most of the time, people are now aware that they have sleep apnea. Family members, bed partners, and roommates certainly could be of great help. If you have a family member who shows signs and symptoms of the condition, immediately call his attention but in a calm and casual manner.

You should also start encouraging the person to quickly seek medical help. Emotional support is also very necessary.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is one of the hardest to diagnose. No doctor could easily and accurately tell if you are suffering from one with just one consultation or even a series of blood tests. Sleep apnea symptoms appear when you are asleep so the best way to know if you have one is to ask your bed partner or roommate about the noise you make when you are asleep and the presence of any period when breathing seems to pause or stop for a while.

Aside from that, most doctors also run several other forms of diagnosis to support your suspicion and the testimony of your bed partner or roommate. The primary care doctor would evaluate symptoms before going further. There are three diagnostic measures to take after: an analysis of family and medical history, physical examination, and sleep studies.

Be prepared when the doctor starts asking you about your own as well as your family's medical history. It would be best if you would be as honest as you could. It would help if you would start keeping a sleep diary even for just a week or two. In the diary, list the number of hours of sleep you get every night and how sleepy you get at different times of the day. One of the symptoms of sleep apnea is sleepiness during daytime due to lack of sleep (induced by sleep apnea). Your roommate or bed partner would also be asked about how loud and how often you gasp or snore during sleep. It would be better if you would tell him of any sleep apnea record of any of your family. The disorder is hereditary.

The next option or step to diagnosis of sleep apnea is physical examination. Your nose, mouth, and throat would ne checked and analyzed for any presence of large or extra tissues. The doctor would also check out the bone structure in your head and neck as it could affect airway passage. Physical exam along with a rundown of family history could be enough to diagnose presence of sleep apnea in children.

As for adults, there could be enlargement of the soft palate or uvula. Soft palate is the roof-like structure at the back of your throat. The uvula is a small tissue that hangs conveniently from the back of your mouth's middle section. In some cases, enlarged tonsils are checked out.

Finally, sleep study is so far the most accurate diagnostic test for sleep apnea detection. It could capture your breathing pattern as you sleep. Needless to say, it is conducted as you sleep within a sleep lab or a sleep center. You may be asked to stay overnight in the hospital's sleep lab for observation. A polysomnogram is at type of specific sleep study for sleep apnea detection. It is able to record brain activity, heart rate and breathing pattern, eye movement, muscle activity, blood oxygen level, and air passage to the lungs as you sleep.

Do not worry because polysomnogram is usually painless. You would be induced to sleep, though there would be sensors attached to your face, limbs, fingers, chest, and scalp. This sleep apnea test is done within a sleep study in a hospital sleeping lab overnight.

It could reveal any presence of the disorder, the type, and even severity of the condition.

Because sleep apnea can prove to be a distressing and fatal disorder, undergoing treatments is necessary. Sleep apnea treatments are designed to meet two goals. One is to relieve symptoms and two is to normalize breathing patterns.

Treatments depend on the severity of the disorder. However, the effectiveness of the treatments is partially dependent on the regularity of follow-ups and constant and open communication between the doctor and patient. 

For your guidance, following are the treatments for sleep apnea.

1. Lifestyle changes. Also called behavioral therapy, lifestyle changes are aimed at treating mild cases of sleep apnea by adjusting habits, activities, and lifestyle. For instance, losing weight can significantly alleviate sleep apnea since obesity or being overweight can contribute to the narrowing of the airway. It's also important to avoid alcohol, sedatives, and other medicines that can further relax throat muscles and may cause sleepiness.

Tobacco should also be avoided. Moreover, sleeping on the back rather than on the side is also found to help people with sleep apnea. Sleeping on the back is said to relax the tongue and palate more and thus block the airway. The use of saline nasal sprays is also helpful in keeping the nasal passages open.

2. Treatments for co-existing medical conditions. Sleep apnea may either be the cause or result of other medical conditions. Taking the treatments for such diseases or disorders can help alleviate sleep apnea.

3. Devices. Breathing and oral devices are used in treating sleep apnea of different severities. Examples are continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) and mouthpiece. Recommended for people with moderate and severe apnea, CPAP is a mask-like device connected to a machine. CPAP is worn over the nose while sleeping and delivers pressurized air to prevent the airway from narrowing.

Mouthpiece, on the other hand, is designed specifically by a dentist or orthodontist. It is a custom-fit dental device that resembles the common athletic mouth guard. It prevents sleep apnea by adjusting the lower jaw and tongue, thus keeping the airway open. Other devices include bi-level positive air pressure (BiPAP) and adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV).

4. Surgeries. The main purpose of surgeries is to keep the airway wide and open, thereby allowing the free flowing of air. Surgeries are normally done on people with severe sleep apnea, but which surgical operation to perform is based on its cause. There are surgeries that remove excess tissues from the throat and soft palate that block the airway. Others, meanwhile, shrink tissues in the mouth and throat.

In some surgeries, enlarged tonsils and adenoids are removed. And some others involve reconstruction of the lower jaw. Surgeries are known to confer long-term and even permanent benefits, but since surgeries can be sometimes risky, it is best to consider other sleep apnea treatments first before undergoing any surgery.

The success of sleep apnea treatments still lies on the person's commitment, since some mentioned treatments may be quite challenging to sustain. Take, for instance, the lifestyle changes. Expectedly, it won't be as easy for some people to lose weight or kick alcohol as it is for some.

However, knowing that altering or adjusting some habits or activities can improve the course of their day and even their life should be enough of a motivation. In the end, it is still about healthy living. It is about taking steps toward eliminating the dangers of sleep apnea.