Understanding Sleep Apnea
Waking up between periods of sleep? Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you are experiencing sleep apnea, you may snore loudly or make choking noises as you try to breathe then your brain and body become oxygen deprived and you may wake up. This may happen a few times a night, or in more severe cases, several hundred times a night. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night's sleep might be a sign that you have sleep apnea.
Signs and symptoms of sleep apnea:
- You snore loudly.
- Your bed partner says that you snore and sometimes stop breathing when you sleep.
- You sometimes wake up abruptly with shortness of breath.
- You sometimes wake up choking or gasping.
- You often wake up to use the bathroom.
- You wake up with a dry mouth or sore throat.
- You often wake up with a headache.
- You have insomnia (difficulty staying asleep).
- You have hypersomnia (excessive daytime sleepiness).
- You have attention, concentration, or memory problems while awake.
- You are irritable and experience mood swings.
- You have risk factors for sleep apnea, such as being overweight or obese, drinking alcohol, or smoking tobacco.
- You have a decreased interest in sex or are experiencing sexual dysfunction.
Who are commonly at risk of having sleep apnea?
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Overweight – Excess body weight contributes to sleep apnea by causing increased pressure on upper airways, leading to collapse and decreased neuromuscular control from the fatty deposits. These fatty deposits contribute to decreased lung volume and make it more difficult to breathe
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Large neck size - Your risk for sleep apnea is higher if you have a neck size of 17 inches or more for men, or 16 inches or more for women. A large neck has more soft tissue that can block your airway during sleep.
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Middle age – Sleep disorders and troubles increase with age, and more than 50% of adults 65 and up.
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Gender – Sleep apnea is more common in men than in women.
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Hypertension – Sudden drops in blood oxygen levels that occur during sleep apnea increase blood pressure and strain the cardiovascular system. Having obstructive sleep apnea increases your risk of high blood pressure
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Family history – Sleep apnea is a heritable condition. This means that you have a higher risk of sleep apnea if a family member also has it. Inherited traits that increase the risk of sleep apnea include obesity and physical features such as a recessed jaw.
The very simple and most famous way of treatment might include using CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine. But poor maintenance can make your sleep therapy ineffective and damage your equipment. Doing the regular daily, weekly and monthly cleaning and sanitizing for each part is quite a hassle. So we suggest that you check out this CPAP cleaner that can prolong the life span of your device, effectively clean your device and treat your sleep apnea faster: Vastmedic CPAP Cleaner & Sanitizer
Resources:
https://vastmedic.com/products/cpap-cleaner-and-sanitizer
http://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/sleep-apnea
