Relieve Sleep Apnea Symptoms

by Brian

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is the technical term for your garden variety sleep apnea. Direct sleep apnea symptoms include failure to breath for extended periods of time due primarily to and upper airway blockage in the throat while sleeping. As the length of the breathless time grows eventually a person suffering from sleep apnea forces breath into their lungs (while still asleep) but not before a reduction in oxygen saturation of their blood occurs.

Airway blockages causing sleep apnea often are the soft tissues surrounding the throat which collapse in on the airway when relaxed during sleep. Often obesity causes sleep apnea or at the very least aggravates it.

Because sleep apnea naturally decreases blood oxygen levels in patients the symptoms of sleep apnea are varied and can be more severe in different people. Often the sleep cycle of a sleep apnea sufferer will be thrown out of balance and chronic fatigue will be felt. Other significant health problems can also occur due to sleep apnea, hypertension is quite notable as it is affected notably when patient get little rest. Overall sleep apnea symptoms should be treated at the source; the cause of sleep apnea first and then second to relieve the sleep apnea symptoms of fatigue and hypertension.

How then can we treat the cause and symptoms of sleep apnea? Better lifestyle choices are the first line of attack and are a central theme to the treatment process. A patient suffering from sleep apnea symptoms should avoid the use of alcohol, tobacco, and sleeping pills. These products are likely to cause additional tissue relaxation and could enhance the severity of sleep apnea. Cutting them from your lifestyle will remove this sleep apnea trigger.

Some patients may even find that simply elevating their headboard or propping up one's upper body when sleeping will alleviate sleep apnea symptoms by taking some of the pressure off the neck and transferring gravity's pull down the spine instead. Overweight people with sleep apnea often find mild to complete relief of sleep apnea symptoms from simply losing weight. Excessive fat deposits around the neck typically apply more pressure to the airway when relaxed making apnea episodes more likely.

Weight loss is always a good approach to reducing the affects of sleep apnea. However, due to the time requirements of various weight loss programs weight loss alone is often not a standalone treatment option; in these cases pressurized breathing masks may be required. This is a more advanced form of sleep apnea treatment which requires a formal sleep laboratory study to determine what kind of mask you need, how to fit it, and to what degree of treatment is necessary.

In any even, sleep apnea symptoms typically start appearing in people who suffer from weight issues but not always. Many thin people have the same sleep apnea problem... some probably don't even realize it. Obvious symptoms can include hypertension and lethargy or fatigue and they can get worse in time if nothing is done to alleviate them. Make it a point to see a specialist for diagnosis if you feel it is necessary and do what you can to relieve sleep apnea symptoms today.

About the Author

Brian writes a blog full of information on increasing longevity and preventing disease with better nutrition, lifestyle choices, and modern medicine. All information is freely provided with sources referenced. Check it out here at A Longer Life.

Sleep Apnea Health Problems Can Be Serious

by Andrew Stratton

Efforts to discover what causes sleep apnea have been intense, and although the actual cause may not have been identified, researchers have discovered that sleep apnea health problems can be serious.

There are several major risk factors for heart disease such as obesity, alcohol abuse, and smoking, but you might be surprised to find out that sleep apnea is also a major risk factor. Combine any of these factors, and the risk doubles for serious sleep apnea health problems. For example, if you are obese and you suffer from sleep apnea, then your risk of heart problems increases.

If your sleep apnea is treated with a sleep apnea device such as CPAP, you reduce or even eliminate your risks. However, if you do not seek treatment when your breathing stops during an apnea attack, the levels of carbon dioxide in your blood increase while the levels of oxygen drop off. This effect causes a variety of chemical and physical events to occur that can increase your risk for heart problems.

Sleep apnea health problems increase the longer the apnea remains untreated. Sleep apnea will decrease the levels of gas nitric oxide in the blood, which is an important substance for heart health. The reduced levels raise the risk of heart problems.

Apnea also increases the angiotensin converting enzyme, which plays a role in congestive heart failure and high blood pressure. High levels of this enzyme exacerbate your sleep apnea health problems. Other chemical changes involved also increase your risk for heart problems.

There is still much research needed to define just how all of these changes affect the heart and just how serious the impact is to the health of your heart. With treatments available, why take the risk? Why not use a sleep apnea device like CPAP?

Studies have made direct correlations with the following sleep apnea health problems. If you suffer from sleep apnea, consider these risks if you choose to ignore using one of the sleep apnea device treatments.

High Blood Pressure - Several studies have correlated sleep apnea with high blood pressure. A study conducted in 2004 for sleep apnea health problems found that the more apnea episodes you had in the first year, the more likely you were to have high blood pressure by the time year four came around.

Blood pressure will have wide fluctuations in response to the apnea episode. These fluctuations might be a result of the sympathetic nervous system sudden surge. It's these fluctuations, which lead to the blood vessels constricting, and over time, this leads to high blood pressure and the possibility of heart damage.

Effective treatments like the CPAP sleep apnea device allow your airways to remain open, which means your blood pressure will be lowered. Only partial reduction of sleep apnea does not have the positive effective. It must be a substantial reduction.

Of the many sleep apnea health problems, coronary artery disease and heart attack are the two most serious. Studies have confirmed that the more apnea episodes you have the higher your risk of heart attack, stroke, and coronary artery disease. This is especially true in older adults. Do you still want to ignore treatment such as CPAP?

If you have sleep apnea, you double your risk for stroke. The worse the episodes, the greater the risk you face. Severe sleep apnea can triple your risk of stroke. And stroke sufferers with sleep apnea have symptoms that are worse, such as poor speech response, depression, delirium, and difficulty with daily activities. Another good reason to use a sleep apnea device is to reduce your risk of developing sleep apnea health problems.

37% of all heart failure patience had sleep apnea, and if you have existing congestive heart failure with sleep apnea, your risk of death goes up.

Other sleep apnea health problems that have been directly linked to sleep apnea

* Peripheral nerve damage
* Asthma
* Diabetes
* Kidney failure
* Eye disorders
* Liver damage
* Seizures
* Nerve disorders
* High-risk pregnancies
* Headaches
* Irregular menstrual periods

Now that you know just a few of the sleep apnea health problems are you ready to seek treatment?

** About the author text:
The quality of your sleep has an immediate effect on your daily health. Visit Kelly's Medical Equipment & Supply at http://www.kellysmedical.com/ to get more information on sleep apnea and the CPAP device for treatment. Kelly's Medical wants to help you sleep for better health and better living.

About the Author

The quality of your sleep has an immediate effect on your daily health. Visit Kelly's Medical Equipment & Supply at http://www.kellysmedical.com to get more information on sleep apnea and the CPAP device for treatment. Kelly's Medical wants to help you sleep for better health and better living.

Sleep Apnea Clinic - What You Need to Know

by Bob Shaughnessy

A sleep apnea clinic is a diagnostic facility designed to identify the presence of sleep apnea, narcolepsy and other sleep disorders such as periodic limb movement disorder. A clinic is often located inside a hospital but many free outpatient units also provide quality services.

If your doctor recommends that you visit a sleep apnea clinic and have a Polysomnography test, here's what you can expect. First, a Polysomnography (PSG) test or sleep study measures body functions during sleep. Sleep studies can be performed during the day or night but most clinic work is conducted at night so your normal sleep patterns can be studied. Daytime, attended sleep studies are usually administered to identify other disorders such as narcolepsy. More about those later.
Sleep Apnea Clinic Diagnostics

When you report to the clinic on the evening of your sleep study, you will likely be assigned to a private room where you will sleep that night. A technician will make sure you are comfortable and help get you ready for the test. The technician will spend about one to two hours getting you ready and attaching a variety of sensors to your body. These sensors will measure a number of body functions including:

The sleep technician will be present throughout the night monitoring the various sensors and analyzing the data being collected while you sleep.

In the morning after the study is completed, you will be able to clean up, leave the sleep apnea clinic and get on with your day. The data from the Polysomnography test will be collected and analyzed by the sleep technician and your physician. Here's what they will be looking for.

Signs of disruption and any episodes of abnormal breathing will be scrutinized and measured. An Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) and a Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI) will be calculated. The Apnea-Hypopnea Index measures the average number of apnea (suspended breathing) and hypopnea (very shallow or low number of breaths) events per hour of sleep. The Respiratory Disturbance Index measures other abnormal events (Respiratory Event Related Arousals or RERAs) that disrupt normal sleep and cause a sleeping person to arouse while also measuring the number of apnea and hypopnea events that occur. If you have an AHI score of between 5-15, it indicates you have mild sleep apnea. An AHI score of 15-30 indicates moderate sleep apnea and scores over 30 indicate you have severe sleep apnea.

Types of Sleep Apnea Clinic Studies

A sleep apnea clinic can conduct several types of evaluations and studies. These include a Diagnostic evaluation to determine the presence of sleep apnea, a CPAP or BIPAP Titration evaluation which is used after sleep apnea is diagnosed to calculate how much air pressure is needed using a cpap machine to keep your airways open and a Split Night Study which is a combination of the Diagnostic and CPAP/BIPAP Titration studies.
Other Types of Studies Administered by a Sleep Apnea Clinic

Daytime Studies

As mentioned previously, a sleep apnea clinic can also perform studies during the daytime. There are two specific studies that can be performed in the day by a sleep apnea clinic; the Multiple Sleep Latency Test and the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test.

Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT)

The MSLT is primarily used to diagnose narcolepsy. A clinic will administer the MSLT to measure sleepiness (how long it takes someone to fall asleep) and how fast you enter the REM stage of sleep. This test has the patient undergo several periods of scheduled naps and measures the average time it takes the patient to fall asleep. While asleep during these scheduled naps, the patient is also analyzed to see if they fall into REM sleep, as most people must be asleep for a longer period of time than these naps allow before they enter REM. One feature of narcolepsy is rapid onset of REM sleep. If the tests indicate the occurrence of two or more episodes of REM sleep, this can be an indicator of narcolepsy.

Maintenance of Wakefulness test (MWT)

Another test that can be performed at a clinic is the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test or MWT. Unlike the MSLT which measures your ability to fall asleep, the MWT measures and analyzes your ability to stay awake. This test is often performed at a sleep clinic to determine how well a patient with a sleep disorder is responding to treatment. It can also be administered to test if the patient is safe to perform tasks such as driving or operating machinery.

A sleep clinic performs a vital function in the identification and diagnosis of many sleep disorders. With the increased recognition and appreciation for the important role sleep plays in all of our lives, more doctors are turning to a sleep clinic to help them successfully analyze and treat their patients sleep disorders. If you suspect you or a family member may have sleep apnea or other sleep related problems such as snoring, talk with a physician or a sleep specialist. Many hospitals have opened sleep clinics to better serve their patients. Find out if there is a sleep apnea clinic near you that can help.

About the Author

Many successful treatment options for sleep apnea are available but you need to do your research and take action. Check out this free report