Signs and Treatments of Sleep Apnea

Catching your breath after performing strenuous activities is normal such as running. However, running out breath while you are asleep is not. As outlined by National Institutes of Health, millions of individuals are suffering from shortness of breath while sleeping at night.

Shortness or running out of breath while sleeping is a condition known as sleep apnea. Apnea is a Greek term for "without breath" which inhibits people from breathing during their sleep. Based on analysis, a person with sleep apnea sometimes stops his breathing for more than one hundred times per hour.

Sleep apnea is composed of three forms known as:

Obstructive Sleep Apnea – OSA is the most common form of sleep apnea which is caused by the blockage of the airway. This usually occurs when the soft tissues in the back of the throat collapses or closes while sleeping.

Central Sleep Apnea – As opposed to Obstructive Sleep Apnea, CSA is a condition where the respiratory control center is unstable. In this form, your normal breathing is interrupted during sleep because the brain fails to alert the muscles, diaphragm and lungs to breathe.

Mixed Sleep Apnea – This form of sleep apnea is the combination of OSA and CSA.

There are plenty of ways to detect sleep apnea. The signs and symptoms of this condition usually include excessive sleepiness during daytime, periodic wakefulness at night and of course, loud snoring. Experts said that sleep apnea might be present once you are snoring pretty loud and then followed by great silence.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that could affect anyone. As a matter of fact, there are 12 million American citizens who are affected by this condition.

Now, how to diagnose sleep apnea?

Based on research, sleep apnea can affect anyone which means even children may suffer from it. However, this case mostly exists on male especially at the age of 40. Overweight individuals might also be inflicted with this problem. Needless to say, sleep apnea might be present to those who have large neck size, tonsils, tongue and small jawbone. Gastroesophageal reflux or GERD and nasal obstruction caused by deviated septum, allergies or sinus problems might also be causes of sleep apnea.

Contrary, there are cases where sleep apnea is acquired through genetics. In short, this condition is present to the family history.

Sleep Apnea might appear to be harmless but this could cause several health problems like high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and depression. People with sleep apnea might also suffer from heart failures, heart attacks and ADHD. In connection to this, your daily activities, such as going to school or work, might also be affected because of sleep apnea.

Apparently, sleep apnea is curable. Several treatments for sleep apnea include shifting sleep positions, getting to bed at the same time every single night and balanced diet for weight loss. Alternatively, dental treatments might also help alleviate the problem, such as:

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) – This treatment works with mask and headgear which is used for blowing airway that is under pressure.

Oral Appliance Therapy – Silent Nite is the most common oral appliance for sleep apnea. This dental approach is mostly used to move the lower jaw forward or prevent the tongue from interrupting the airway.

Dental Surgery – This creates an open airway that is not prone to blockages.

Sleep apnea is manageable especially when detected earlier. Always bear in mind to not neglect such issue and always seek professional help in case you are under with this disorder.

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