What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disease in which breathing stops and starts many times while you sleep. A lot of times a night, this can happen. Some people have very bad cases of sleep apnea that can hurt their health and quality of life.

Types of Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA) are the two main types of sleep apnea. OSA is the most common type. It happens when the muscles in the back of the throat don’t keep the airway open, which makes breathing stop and start over and over again. Another type of sleep apnea that doesn’t happen very often is CSA. This happens when the brain doesn’t send the right information to the muscles that control breathing.

Impact on Health

If someone has sleep apnea, it can really hurt their health and quality of life. A person with sleep apnea is more likely to have a number of health issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. They may also feel tired during the day, have mood swings, and have trouble focusing.

Health Complications

Sleep apnea can lead to a number of health issues, such as

A lot of blood pressure
Heart trouble
Brain Stroke
2nd type of diabetes
Being overweight
Feeling Down

Seeking Medical Help

If you think you might have sleep apnea, you should see a doctor right away for diagnosis and treatment. Getting help for sleep apnea can make your life better and lower your risk of getting sick.

Available Treatments

The good news is that there are solutions for sleep apnea that work.

Treatment Options

A number of medications are available for sleep apnea, such as

The machine that gives you CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) air flows through a mask that you wear over your nose and mouth. This helps you breathe while you sleep.

Oral appliances are things that you put over your teeth to help keep your airway open while you sleep.

Surgery: People with serious sleep apnea who don’t get better with other treatments may be able to have surgery.

Lifestyle Changes

People with sleep apnea should make changes to their habits to help them sleep better. Some of these changes are:

Getting loose
Not drinking or taking drugs before bed
Lie down on your side
Setting up a soothing bedtime routine

Conclusion

Sleep apnea is a dangerous illness that can be cured. If you think you might have sleep apnea, you should see a doctor right away so they can diagnose and treat it.

Final Advice

If you think you might have sleep apnea, you should see a doctor right away. A sleep expert can do a sleep study to figure out what’s wrong and suggest the best way to treat it. People who have sleep apnea can improve their health and quality of life and get better sleep with the right treatment.