What is Sleep Apnea?
Simply explained, sleep apnea is interrupted breathing when you're sleeping. This sleeping disorder often goes unrecognized to a point where even doctors and medical tests are unable to detect it. Snoring may not be an area of concern for most individuals, but is a significant symptom of this sleep disorder especially when it's frequent and loud. Apnea affects the consistency of breathing in that there are often unexpected pauses during the process. It is treatable, but the first step of diagnosis is to differentiate it from normal snoring.
If you or someone you know is experiencing this sleep disorder, it is important to consult a medical professional. When it occurs, the interruptions in breathing can last 10 - 20 seconds, and up to 75 times in a single night. This often results in light sleep rather than restorative sleep, which is exactly what the body needs to be mentally sharp, productive and energetic the next day.
This deprivation of sleep often results in slow reflexes, fatigue, dull concentration and myriad health problems to include heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and obesity. There are three types of this sleep disorder namely obstructive, central, complex sleep apnea, and all are curable provided you identify the warning signs and effectively prevent them.
Signs and Symptoms
As mentioned before, loud and frequent snoring are the most prominent symptoms of this sleep disorder, but there are a few more that occur even while you're awake. You may find yourself falling asleep while you drive, bored or even at work. Other signs include sore throat or dry mouth when you wake up, waking up to urinate frequently, depressed, mood swings, irritable, personality changes, memory or learning problems and headaches especially in the morning.
Sleep apnea in children is even harder to detect than adults. In addition to snoring, some of the symptoms to watch out for are excessive perspiration, bedwetting, night terrors and weird sleeping positions. If you notice these signs, it is important to consult a pediatrician, but standard corrective methods include adenoids or tonsil removal. It is important to note that not all snorers have this sleep disorder, and not all sleep apnea affected individuals snore. Therefore you should carefully analyze the symptoms before jumping to conclusions. One distinct sign is the quality of sleep, so if you snore and still have an energized day, you're less likely to suffer from this sleep disorder.
How does Obesity affect Sleep Apnea?
Although medical research proves that obesity is one of the leading causes of this sleep disorder, there is evidence it may promote weight gain as well. Unlike other risk factors for sleep apnea such as nasal congestion, smoking and alcohol, obesity is the only symptom that can be reversed. Obesity instigates sleep apnea in several ways including obstruction of the airways, collapsible narrow airways, soft tissue enlargement around the pharynx and increased fat deposits in the throat area.
Treatment Options
Good news is that sleep apnea is treatable provided you take the right steps. There are several treatments you can render on your own especially when treating mild to moderate occurrences of sleep apnea. People suffering from obesity should focus on reducing the extra tissue and fat located in the throat region. This can only be done with effective weight loss remedies.
Shedding the extra pounds is easier said than done, but is the only way to yield great results. Losing weight is not just a cure for sleep apnea, but greatly reduces the risk of heart disease and other health problems. There are several other measures one can take to prevent sleep apnea including sleeping on your side, opening nasal passages, maintaining regular sleeping hours, avoiding alcohol sedative and smoking.
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