Sleep apnea is perhaps the commonest sleep disorder and affects almost eighteen million people in the United States. A sleep disorder characterized by broken breathing during sleep, it is also undeniably the most dangerous of all sleeping disorders as it deprives the brain of critical oxygen and sometimes proves fatal.
There are two completely separate types of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is essentially a neurological condition in which the breathing is interrupted because of signals sent out by the brain. Obstructive sleep apnea by contrast is basically a mechanical problem where the windpipe is obstructed either by too much tissue or by the unusual relaxation or collapse of muscle tissue in and around the windpipe. In both cases however the results are basically the same with repeated interruptions to the breathing that deprive the brain of oxygen and place sufferers at heightened risk from things like hypertension, stroke and heart attack.
Regrettably, diagnosing sleep apnea is not always easy because snoring, which is one of its commonest symptoms and frequently leads to sleep apnea being referred to as the snoring disease, is also seen as a symptom of numerous other medical conditions. Snoring is certainly normally present with sleep apnea as the brain reacts to a drop in oxygen by waking the sufferer sufficiently to restart breathing and this normally results in snoring.
This repeated awakening throughout the night also produces a very poor overall quality of sleep and it is fairly common for sleep apnea sufferers to wake up in the morning feeling more tired than when they got into bed. This also causes a feeling of sheer exhaustion during the course of the day and an overpowering need to sleep.
However, tiredness arising from poor quality sleep is merely part of the problem and a variety of other symptoms will also generally be seen including morning headaches, forgetfulness and a problem in maintaining concentration.
Without treatment the accumulating tiredness resulting from sleep apnea may cause significant psychological problems beginning with simple touchiness and moving on to depression with obvious changes in behavior and mood.
Both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea are treatable and, as long as the problem is caught early enough, treatment can often be reasonably simple. For example, a mild case of obstructive sleep apnea resulting from nasal congestion can normally be treated with little more than decongestants. In the same way, many cases of sleep apnea that are not especially severe can be treated with a mask that is worn while sleeping and which provides air at a constant pressure in order to keep the airway open. Lastly, in the most severe cases of sleep apnea surgery might be necessary and can be extremely effective, though it can also lead to numerous complications and has to be considered with care.
Possibly the most important thing to bear in mind when it comes to treating sleep apnea is that because it carries the potential risk of respiratory failure sufferers ought not to be tempted to take sleeping pills or to use other types of sleep enhancers without first seeking the approval of a doctor.
Natural sleep remedies without question complement prescribed treatments and herbal remedies which are intended to improve both the duration and quality of sleep can help in the management of the excessive daytime sleepiness usually brought on by sleep apnea. Likewise, such things as chromatherapy, aromatherapy and meditation and guided relaxation can help in reducing the anxiety and insomnia which go together with sleep apnea.
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