Stand by for our article on Treatments For Sleep Apnea. Sleep apnea is described as a sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly begins and stops during sleep. If you feel very tired after a long night's sleep and snore very loudly, you may have sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea, which happens when your brain does not send proper signals to your muscles that control breathing while you sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea happens when the upper airway is blocked due to age, fat build-up or some other obstruction. In this case, the sleep apnea symptoms tend to be similar to those of sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Treatment Options
There are certain symptoms that can help sleep apnea specialists determine if you really have sleep apnea or not. The main symptom is gasping for breath during sleep. The other symptoms include morning headaches, excessive drowsiness during the daytime, irritability, poor concentration, increased risk of snoring, decreased quality of life and more. It is essential that a sleep specialist perform a physical exam to determine if you have sleep apnea or not. During this checkup, your doctor may refer you to an otolaryngologist, a sleep specialist who is an expert in sleep disorders. In some cases, your doctor may refer you to a sleep laboratory where you will undergo several tests to determine if you indeed have sleep apnea or not.
Causes, Symptoms, Tests and Treatments
The reason sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness is that during sleep, the airway is kept open partially by the muscles of your body. If these muscles relax, airflow to the lungs becomes blocked. The muscles in the back of the throat also fall on the sides of the airway, which makes it difficult to breathe as the air is unable to pass through. The muscles in the tongue also obstruct the airway, causing sleep apnea if they relax during sleep. Lastly, the airway gets narrowed by the thick tissues lining the airway.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatment
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment is a common treatment for sleep apnea patients. This treatment is performed using a sleep apnea mask called a pressurized airway pressure garment (PAP) from a clinic. The CPAP supplies a stream of pressurized air to keep the airway open at all times.
Sleep Apnea Pillows
Oral devices called sleep apnea pillows are another form of treatment. These sleep apnea pillows are designed to make the airway wider by stretching the soft tissues of the neck and the soft palate. This stretches the soft tissues, allowing the air to flow freely through the airway and keeping the airway open at all times. These sleep apnea pillows are often used along with a CPAP treatment.
Healthy Sleep Conclusion
If you suffer from sleep apnea, it's important that you visit your doctor. Your doctor will perform a sleep study where he or she will take measurements of your sleep, your oxygen levels, and any other medical conditions that may be affecting your sleep apnea. From this information, your doctor can formulate a treatment plan for you. Your treatment may include one or more of the treatments discussed in this article. Your doctor may recommend one or more of these medications.
Lisa has suffered from Sleep Apnea for many years. She recently discovered a great way to get a full night sleep and now wakes up feeling fresh and rejuvenated. Here is how she did it.
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