A Sleep Apnea Study May Be Your Best Option For Snoring

by Orlando Gutierrez

It very hard to diagnose without help if you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. You might have heard the classic joke about a man denying he has any snoring problem when he tells his wife, "I stayed up all night last night to see if I snored, and I definitely don't snore."

The easiest way to find out out if you're having obstructive sleep apnea which can sometimes require a sleep apnea study is by allowing a family member or friend watch you when you're sleeping. Someone who has sleep apnea snores loudly, they're always gasping for air, and experience pauses in their breathing cycles.

During obstructive sleep apnea, your body is deprived of oxygen for a few seconds, and because of this you don't get the REM (deep sleep) your body needs so you can get adequate rest.

If no one can watch you as you sleep, look for these common indicators; waking up in a sweat, constant drowsiness during the day, impotence, and being depressed. Basically, obstructive sleep apnea can disrupt your well-being in a major way!

When you have a sneaky suspicion that you're falling asleep at the most innoportune times because you're not getting quality sleep, you need to see your doctor. Obviously, a physician can ultimately determine if you need to go through a sleep apnea study.

In a sleep study, technicians can find out problems occurring in your sleep, and physicians can figure out how critical your sleep apnea is.

If you are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea a good choice would be to use a CPAP machine, which stands for "Continuous Positive Airway Pressure." This machine supplies you with continuous, compressed air with the air pressure carefully set at your desired level by your physician.

The fact is many patients have been able to achieve normal, restful sleep even to a normal sleeping pattern during the first night, making the CPAP a great choice for improving or getting rid of obstructive sleep apnea.

About the Author
There are many effective snoring remedies you can try. To see how you can finally get the rest you deserve, Click here!

Sleep Apnea Treatment Alternatives to CPAP

by Patricia Woloch

If you've been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), characterized by stoppages in breathing as you sleep, one of the treatments you may be offered is CPAP. The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure treatment is usually the first choice prescribed by many OSA specialists. While it is a successful way to treat OSA, many people have problems with continuing to use it.

Because it requires a mask that fits over the mouth and nose each night while the OSA sufferer sleeps, there are several unwanted side-effects of using it. Many CPAP users report they can only tolerate it for four hours a night. Users complain of facial breakouts due to the straps, eye irritation, runny nose, dry mouth, and sore throats. Because the mask is hooked up to a machine by an attached hose, patients who are more comfortable sleeping on their stomachs may also have trouble. The noise coming from the machine is also problematic to many.

Alternatives

After being diagnosed with OSA, discussing your treatment options with a sleep apnea specialist or sleep apnea dentist is your best bet to avoiding CPAP. And there are several options available.

Oral Appliance Therapy - These are devices that are custom-fitted to minimize OSA and snoring (one of the symptoms of OSA). They are worn like an orthodontic appliance, or mouth guard, and keep the soft tissue from collapsing and blocking your airway. They are also designed to keep your tongue in place and out of the way of your throat. Devices such as SomnoMed MAS, Thornton Adjustable Positioner (TAP), and many more are highly successful in treating OSA.

Behavioral Therapy - Many patients with OSA may find that simply changing behaviors in their lifestyle can cut down or completely eliminate instances of sleep interruption. Individuals who smoke, consume alcohol on a regular basis, or are overweight may find that giving up these habits or losing weight will help. Improving your diet, avoiding certain antihistamines before bed, or putting a humidifier in your bedroom are also easy improvements.

Medication - Snoring is not necessarily an indication that you have OSA, but it is a symptom. There are herbal medicines that use natural plant enzymes or herbs to help eliminate snoring. These "anti-snoring pills" reduce congestion and swelling in the nose and throat. When you are able to breathe easier, you are less likely to snore or awake unable to breathe. Other medications include prescribed nose drops or sprays and aromatherapy.

Surgery - Though surgery should be the last resort in treating OSA, this may be the most beneficial treatment for some people. The goal of OSA surgery is to increase the size of the airway. This makes it easier for you to breathe as you sleep without interruption. Different surgical procedures include a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, tongue reduction surgery, or a tracheotomy in severe cases of OSA.

OSA is a potentially dangerous condition. The risks of having an untreated condition may increase your chances of heart attack or stroke. If you believe you may have obstructive sleep apnea, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.

About the Author
For more information on treating obstructive sleep apnea, please contact ihatecpap.com to schedule an initial consultation.

How to Reduce Symptoms For Sleep Apnea With Sleep Apnea Oral Device

by Percy Montgomery

Sleep Apnea Oral Device Can Reduce Symptoms For Sleep Apnea

Are you distressing from sleep apnea? Do you know that the effects of sleep apnea can be reduced or got rid off by sleep apnea oral devices? Here's a concise overview of a few commonly used appliances..

Symptoms For Sleep Apnea can be backed by Sleep Apnea Oral Appliances

In sleep apnea, the muscles in the throat may relax too much, which limits the airway significantly . The tongue may also deflate, or fold back, thereby closing off the air passage and interrupting the normal flow of breathing. This is a severe condition, one that may affect vital organs like the brain and heart. Oral appliances sleep apnea have been shown to furnish positive results in sleep apnea patients by supervising the movement of the tongue or by repositioning the lower jaw to allow the airways to stay open. Sometimes, all a person may need is an oral appliance to aid their sleep apnea symptoms, but most often, they are used in conjunction with a Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) machine. To detect if an oral appliance is right for you, both your medical doctor and your dentist should check out your condition. Nevertheless, it's needed that you decide on a dentist that has experience in fitting these oral appliances. This is because a poorly provided appliance may actually cause more problems

Types of Sleep Apnea Oral Appliances

There is no surprise if you are overwhelmed with the different types of sleep apnea oral device available to help sleep apnea symptoms because there are over forty of them . However you don't to worry because your dentist will make clear that the principles used in these devices fall into two general categories which will make your selection easierIn essence, oral appliances are categorized by how they work or by their specific design.

The two most extensively used devices are tongue retaining appliances and mandibular repositioning appliances. You may be able to guess how they function by their descriptive names.With a tongue retaining appliance, a retainer holds the tongue in a forward position, which stops the back of the tongue from collapsing during sleep. The lower jaw is put in a protruded position to keep the airway open by the second type of device. In treating the sleep apnea patients, both of these sleep apnea dental device have been shown to be effective.

How To Find Out A Dentist Who Knows About Sleep Apnea Oral Device?

By using the service of a reputable dentist cannot be stressed enough.. Make sure you choose a dentist who lives in your area or know about the area you are living in.Adiagnostic tool that uses sound waves will be used to examine your nasal passages and airways thoroughly.This will enable the oral appliance to be fitted correctly because the dentist is having a better picture

About the Author
Percy Montgomery writes regularly about health related topics. I hope you enjoy this article

Obstructive sleep apnea may be risk factor for sudden cardiac death

After studying the sleep characteristics of nearly 11,000 adults in an overnight sleep laboratory, Mayo Clinic researchers suggest that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) - and, in particular, the low nighttime oxygen saturation of the blood it causes - may be a risk factor for sudden cardiac death (SCD).
OSA is a condition that disrupts breathing during sleep and is associated with obesity.

The study identified OSA as one of two traits that contribute to the highest risk of SCD. The other is age - patients who are 60 years old or older.

SCD can happen when the heart's electrical system malfunctions; if treatment - cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation - is not administered quickly, a person dies.

If further studies validate these findings, OSA would join established risk factors such as smoking, obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Mayo Clinic cardiologist Apoor Gami, M.D., the lead researcher on the study, presents the findings today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008 in New Orleans.

Significance

Physicians have suspected for years that OSA might be implicated in SCD because of evidence that low oxygen alters the blood vessels in a way that promotes heart disease. This is the first large study to rigorously test the hypothesis, Dr. Gami says.

"Nighttime low oxygen saturation in the blood is an important complication of obstructive sleep apnea," says Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., the study's principal investigator. "Our data showed that an average nighttime oxygen saturation of the blood of 93 percent and lowest nighttime saturation of 78 percent strongly predicted SCD, independent of other well-established risk factors, such as high cholesterol. These findings implicate OSA, a relatively common condition, as a novel risk factor for SCD."

Dr. Somers says these early results are relevant to clinical care. He urges physicians to watch for OSA in their heart patients and consider treating severe cases. "It is possible that diagnosing and treating sleep apnea may prove to be an important opportunity to advance our efforts at preventing and treating heart disease," he says.

Obstructive sleep apnea and public health

OSA is a common breathing disorder associated with frequent and repeated instances of upper airway obstruction during sleep. Restless sleep and extremely loud snoring are typical symptoms. Obstruction can be caused by excess tissue in the airway, a large tongue or large tonsils, or nasal passage irregularities that diminish airflow. Obesity is a major cause of the condition. Treatments are available, such as a customized appliance worn during sleep to stabilize tissues.

Given the rising incidence of obesity in children and adults, OSA is also becoming more common, Dr. Somers says. So concerned are major heart physicians' groups about this emerging public health trend that last summer the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology issued a joint statement calling for studies probing the link between OSA and SCD, says Dr. Somers. He chaired the committee that wrote the statement.

About the study

The researchers reviewed data from 10,701 consecutive adults who underwent an initial diagnostic sleep laboratory analysis session between 1987 and 2003. During a follow-up period of up to 15 years, researchers assessed cases where patients had sudden cardiac arrest, and either died (SCD) or were resuscitated, in relationship to the presence of OSA and other data, including nighttime levels of oxygen saturation in the blood. Results showed that during an average follow-up of 5.3 years, 142 patients had suffered SCD and either died or were resuscitated.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

by Cathy Taylor

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common and advanced form of snoring caused by an obstruction of an individual's airway. OSA is characterized as intermittent cessation of respiration during sleep for at least 10 seconds with concomitant decreased blood oxygen saturation, interrupted normal breathing pattern, and arousal from sleep. Sleep apnea literally means "want of breath" in Greek. OSA has been proven to have significant affects on your health, even if it only occurs occasionally.

The New England Journal of Medicine, April 29, 1993 reported of the middle-aged adults, about 24% of men and 9% of women have 5 or more episodes of interrupted breathings per hour. Some are difficult to detect because they may not demonstrate noticeable symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness or lethargy waking up.

In the United States alone, it is estimated that 11,845,000 people between the ages of 30-60 have obstructive sleep apnea. Of the 31 million Americans who are 65 years and older, 46% or 7,440,000 of them have moderate or severe level of obstructive sleep apnea, reported by the National Commission on Sleep Disorder Research.

It's interesting to note that the physical difference between OSA and simple snoring is only millimeters in the actual airway. The consequences on your ability to get a good night's rest, and as a result, your overall health are dramatic.

Obstructive sleep apnea can stop a person from breathing for as long as 3 minutes and as frequent as 100 times per hour. Typically the person is awakened by the body grasping for some air and is often accompanied with a loud snort.

Although the person's sleep is broken up many times each hour, they are often unaware of anything except that they woke up feeling unrefreshed.

An individual's blood oxygen levels can drop significantly to less than 50% causing a state known as hypopnea. This condition significantly impacts multiple parts of the body including:

- All the vital organs which become strained as they struggle to sustain their normal activities while oxygen deprived.

- Normal metabolism is impaired.

- Glucose utilization in the cells of the body is diminished with respect to the presence of catacholamine, the chemical produced in the body as a consequence of reduced oxygen levels. This chemical suppresses the sensitivity of insulin making it difficult for glucose to enter into the cells for energy.

- Increased cortisol levels stimulate glucose formation which floods the blood with more glucose, and

- As a result of reduced oxygen levels in the blood, the sympathetic nerve activity increased which excites the heart rate and raises blood pressure.

These facts alone reveal why the health concerns of snoring can be grave. Presently OSA apnea claims about 3,000 lives per year in the United States. This estimate doesn't even account for the thousands more deaths caused by complications resulting from OSA.

Numerous studies have linked OSA as the underlying cause of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, automobile accident fatalities, excessive daytime sleepiness, loss of economic productivity, lack of libido, depression, and can even be the reason some relationships break up.

For more information on sleep apnea and snoring, go to http://ww.silentnighttreatment.com

About the Author
Cathy Taylor is a marketing consultant and freelance writer. She can be reached at creativecommunications@cox.net

About Child Sleep Issues

by Jax Chapton

Sleep Apnea Syndrome is regarded as one of the most common problems among infants that prevent them from getting a good night sleep. If untreated, it can further develop into behavioral issues and cause frequent headaches. In infants, it is more difficult to recognize than the adults.
Clues to Sleep Apnea

The most evident clue is snoring. It should be noticed that snoring is not uncommon in child but any loud or constant snoring can be a cause of the syndrome. Other symptoms associated with the child sleep issues include the weight loss, breathing problems due to tonsils in throat and nasal congestions. All of these symptoms require consultation with a child pediatrician. The debate here is not that the symptoms are a definite sign of Sleep Apnea Syndrome but only suggests that there might be a problem.

Treatment

If the condition is left untreated, it will affect the sleep cycle and than cause major biological problems. A few ENT specialist also do a sleep study called polysomnography to evaluate if irregular sleep can really be pinpointed to a specific problem. Most overweight children also face the Sleeping problems. According to the society of Pediatrics, nearly half of the overweight children are in serious risk to develop the SOA. Other major problems might include the blocking of nasal passage and tonsils that block the flow of oxygen to lungs. Surgeons recommend that it is easier and much safer to remove any tonsils at a young age than later in life. A good pediatrician will wait for a certain amount of time to initiate a surgery.

Most children can easily be diagnosed with available medicines, before they are old enough to operate. Parents are well advised to take any sleep disorder seriously and consult with a child specialist. There are numerous cases in which a child has suffered muscle and brain damage due to lack of treatment.


About the Author
Written by Jax Chapton. Now you can find more info on Child Sleep Issues plus Getting Toddler To Sleep

Sleep Apnea: Chronic Sleeping Disorder

by Dave Clark

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by disruption in the breathing pattern while you are sleeping. It is a strange problem and most of the people are not even aware of it. In most cases, it is usually the sleeping partner who gets to know about the prevalence of this sleeping disorder. Victims of this complication face difficulty in taking proper breaths. It is a chronic problem which needs proper attention and if you leave it untreated, it can become a cause of worry and at times even life threatening. It is believed to cause physical as well as mental impairment.

Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Frequent choking episodes during night time Morning headache Waking up in the middle of night due to excessive sweating Poor concentration Loud snoring Dry mouth Excessive sleepiness during daytime Low energy levels Obesity Mood swings

According to recent studies, women suffering from asthma are at a higher risk of developing the problem of sleep apnea. Snoring is one of the most common symptoms of it. Studies are indicative of the fact that about 22% of young women suffering from asthma are prone to snoring. It has been found that sleep apnea is more common among older women especially those females who have passed through the phase of menopause. It is due to hormonal changes in the body that is caused by menopause.

Many a time snoring is taken for sleep apnea; however, both are entirely different set of problems. Snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea but not a cause in itself. Snoring is simply the occurrence of a whistle kind of sound while you are sleeping and sleep apnea is the blockade in the way of air, as a result of which you are not able to breathe properly at the time of sleeping. Snoring, as such, does not have any health impact but sleep apnea is a disorder that demands good medical care.


Different Types of Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) Mixed sleep apnea (MSA)

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is one of the most commonly found sleeping disorders. It is a medical condition in which there is obstruction in breathing that is caused due to disturbance in the flow of air in the mouth and nose.

Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)

It is a rarely found sleeping disorder that occurs when the signals of brain giving instructions to the body to breathe get delayed. It is a problem of the central nervous system which is mainly caused due to injury in the brainstem. For treating this problem, there are certain medications that help a great deal in stimulating the need to breathe oxygen.

Mixed Sleep Apnea (MSA)

Mixed Sleep Apnea (MSA) is a combination of the above two mentioned types of sleep apnea. It has often been found that patients of this sleeping disorder derive benefits from treatment but only to the extent of obstruction in the flow of air. It does not completely put an end to the episode of sleeping apnea.

To conclude, if you find any of the sleep apnea symptoms, it is advisable to immediately see a doctor and seek medical advice.

About the Author
Dave Clark is an experienced article writer and has been writing articles and books for many years, he is very knowledgeable in numerous fields, Dave also works part time for Cushy Sofa a manufacturer and online retailer of Divans, Memory Foam Sofas, Memory Foam Pillows, Memory Foam Mattresses, Memory Foam Toppers, Buy your memory foam mattress , direct from the manufacturer