There are many causes of sleep apnea, so your doctor will recommend the treatment for sleep apnea that will work best for you

The benefits of correctly managing your sleep apnea are numerous. Health, romantic relationships, friendship, and work performance will all improve dramatically with proper maintenance of sleep apnea symptoms. The benefits of treatment for sleep apnea dramatically outweigh the hassles of CPAP compliance, mouth guards or surgical interventions.

In order to live a long and happy life, you must take care of your health. Unfortunately sleep apnea adversely affects you health in many ways. Getting your sleep apnea under control can reverse damages to you body’s systems and improve your cardiac and mental health to the point that you feel like a new person. This is the most important benefit of sleep apnea treatments.

Treatment for sleep apnea – some of the options:

• Behavioral Modification

In mild cases of sleep apnea, fairly easy lifestyle changes may be all that’s needed. By changing the way you eat, or the things you drink before bedtime, you could eliminate your symptoms, which will make your feel better without more expensive or invasive treatment for sleep apnea. Among the lifestyle changes that are recommended are:

• Losing weight – there is a strong correlation between sleep apnea and obesity
• Avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills which may cause the throat muscles to relax too much during sleep
• Change sleep positions – sleep on the side instead of the back, or raise the head with a wedge or adjustable bed
• Stop smoking. Smoking can increase the swelling in the upper airway which may worsen both snoring and apnea.

Other simple lifestyle changes may be recommended by your doctor.

• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)

Continuous positive airway pressure — also called CPAP — is a treatment for sleep apnea in which a mask is worn over the nose and/or mouth while you sleep. The mask is hooked up to a machine that delivers a continuous flow of air into the nostrils. The positive pressure from air flowing into the nostrils helps keep the airways open so that breathing is not impaired. CPAP is considered by many experts to be the most effective treatment for sleep apnea, when behavioral changes don’t work.

• Dental Appliances

A dentist with specialized training can make an appliance that is worn during sleep. These are most effective for mild to moderate sleep apnea and people within normal weight ranges. Oral appliances attach to the teeth and realign the jaw to hold the tongue forward, which captures the tongue to prevent it from falling back into the throat, or increasing the airspace. Most oral appliances need to be fitted and maintained by a dentist.

• Surgery for Sleep Apnea

If sleep aids, lifestyle changes and CPAP therapy are not enough, your doctor may consider sleep apnea surgery. Sleep apnea surgery may be effective if you  have a deviated nasal septum, markedly enlarged tonsils, or a small lower jaw with an overbite causing the throat to be abnormally narrow.

The most commonly performed surgical procedures for sleep apnea include nasal surgery to correct nasal obstructions such as a deviated suptum; Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), which removes soft tissue on the back of the throat and palate; and mandibular maxillr advancement surgery, with corrects facial abnormalities or throat obstructions that contribute to sleep apnea.

Other Options for Treatment for Sleep Apnea

There are a several treatments for sleep apnea that are minimally invasive office procedures — including pillar palatal implant, somnoplasty, and injection snoreplasty. These procedures were designed to reduce and stiffen the soft tissue of the soft palateand have been shown to be effective in treating snoring. However, their long-term efficacy in treating apnea has not yet been determined.

One thing that should also be considered is allergy medication if your throat is swollen due to allergies. This simple option is sometimes all that’s needed to relieve the symptoms of sleep apnea. Unfortunately, allergies are not usually the cause of sleep apnea, but if you do suffer from allergies, this is definitely something you should discuss with your doctor.

The right treatment for sleep apnea in your particular case will be determined after a complete medical exam and a sleep study.

If sleep aids, lifestyle changes and CPAP therapy are not enough, your doctor may consider sleep apnea surgery.

There is no one treatment for sleep apnea. Options include lifestyle changes, the use of a CPAP machine and sleep apnea surgery. Surgery is only used when less invasive alternative are not likely to work.

Sleep apnea surgery can sometimes alleviate the need for the use of sleep apnea equipment and appliances, which can be uncomfortable to use. Most sleep apnea surgeries are fairly simple. They’re usually done on an outpatient basis, and have short recovery times.

Before your sleep apnea surgery…

Before suggesting surgery, your doctor will do a complete physical. If sleep apnea or other sleep disorder is considered a possible cause of your sleep disruption, a sleep study will be ordered. After the results of the exam and sleep study are available, and your  doctor has diagnosed your symptoms as sleep apnea, she will explain the possible causes and suggest the correct appliance or surgery. If surgery is suggested, there are several different kinds normally used to improve or correct sleep apnea. The type of sleep apnea surgery your doctor prescribes will depend on the specific cause of your condition.

Different types of sleep apnea surgery

• Nasal, Septal and Adnoid surgery reconstructs a deviated septum, shrinks turbinates, and widens nasal passages. Turbinates are ridges in the nose and may become enlarged by allergies or other irritants.

• UPPP and Tonsillectomy is a type of sleep apnea surgery that will either partially remove the uvula, completely remove the tonsils, or both. The uvula is the little thing hanging down in the rear of the mouth. By partially removing it the soft palate will shorten, creating a larger area in the back of the throat.

• GGA is short for Genio-Glossus Advancement. During this type of sleep apnea surgery the front tongue tendon is shortened and tightened. This holds the tongue forward more and helps prevent it from falling back during sleep and blocking the airway. It also makes the space between the back of the tongue and throat wider and enhancing airspace.

• Hyoid Suspension will reposition the hyoid bone in order to open the breathing passage. The Hyoid is also known as the Adam’s Apple. The procedure brings the epiglottis and tongue base forward, increasing airway size. This surgery does not involve the vocal cords and should not affect the voice.

• MMA (Maxillo-mandibular Advancement) is where both jaws are moved forward. This is one of the most major sleep apnea surgeries and may involve wiring the jaw shut for a short period of time after surgery. It will change the appearance of the individual, but never adversely. Many times it actually enhances a person’s features.

• A Tracheotomy is the last resort for most. If CPAP or other interventions do not correct the sleep apnea, a tracheotomy may be considered. Under certain circumstances, like cardiopulmonary failure, a tracheotomy will be the initial treatment. A patient can still talk with the tracheotomy if they plug the air hole and they can still breath on their own if the hole is plugged while awake. The tracheotomy opening should never be left plugged while sleeping or it won’t function properly.

Soft Palate Revision for Sleep Apnea

• Somnoplasty is a relatively new procedure. It involves sending electrical currents to the targeted enlarged tissue. Over a period of 2 months the treated tissue will stiffen. A patient may need this done several times to get complete relief of symptoms. Somnoplasty can be done in an office setting and the recovery time is minimal.

• LAUP – Laser assisted Uvulopalatoplasty, removes extra tissue from the uvula and soft palate with a laser over the course of several appointments until snoring has been decreased or no more tissue can be removed. This can be done in most offices under a local anesthesia.

• Other soft palate revisions used for sleep apnea are the palate stiffening procedures. Some of these surgeries involve creating scar tissue that will function as rigid splints. Another stiffening surgery uses implants to create firmness of the soft palate which should keep it from collapsing during sleep. The implants are synthetic fibers that are placed midline to, and parallel to the midline of, the soft palate. Three implant are inserted with a hollow needle under a local anesthesia. They can be removed with relative ease if necessary.

Sleep apnea can be cured by some surgeries. Sometimes surgery will improve the condition for a while, then the symptoms will reoccur, requiring a repeat surgery. Unfortunately most doctors aren’t issued a crystal ball license, so they cannot tell if a surgery will work on a particular patient until it is tried. If a patient wants possible freedom from the external appliances, and they can afford the cost, sleep apnea surgery is a viable option.

When a patient is scheduled for a sleep apnea study, he or she may be very apprehensive. What will it involve? What will I have to do? How will I sleep with all those wires? How will I go to the bathroom? Let’s take some of the mystery out of a sleep study test.

Why your doctor may order a sleep apnea study

Many common sleep apnea symptoms can also be caused by other conditions, and there are many different sleep disorders that can cause disrupted sleep. Your doctor will want to determine the exact cause of your symptoms. If no physical problems are discovered during a thorough medical exam, your doctor will ask you to go to a sleep center, where the technicians are trained to read the results of a sleep study. The results of the study will help your doctor determine if you have sleep apnea, and will also help her determine the best course of treatment.

What happens at your sleep apnea study

After the test date is set and before you have the test, a questionnaire will be given to you. This questionnaire should be answered with all honesty. A family member can and should help answer some of the questions the patient isn’t sure about, because a family member, especially a sleeping partner, may be more aware of your symptoms than you are. This questionnaire, along with the sleep study results, will give the technician a better look at what may be going on.

The day of the sleep apnea test the patient should avoid naps, caffeine and alcohol. Certain medications should also be skipped — but ask the doctor first before discontinuing any prescribed drugs. Hair needs to be washed and thoroughly dried about 2 hours before the test reporting time. Do not use any hair gel, dressings or hairspray. These may interfere with the bonding agent used to apply the electrodes to your scalp. Pack an overnight bag that contains toothbrush and toothpaste, hairbrush, clothes for the next morning and deodorant. Some sleep study centers have showers available for the patient to use. Check with them in advance and if they have showers, don’t forget the soap and shampoo.

After arriving for the sleep apnea study, the technician will ask a series of questions. The patient will then be allowed to get into their night clothes before the application of the electrodes to their head and body. They will also be allowed to make a bathroom trip before the set up begins. Teeth should be brushed at this time although it can be done later if one forgets.

Now it’s time for set up. This part of the test takes about 45 minutes. Tiny electrodes are glued to the patients scalp in many different locations and to the limbs. The glue is stinky, but not a rancid odor and easily washes out the next morning. These electrodes record brain waves and eye movement. A microphone is taped over the Adam’s Apple to record the loudness and rhythm of any snoring and a pulse oximeter is taped to one of the fingers. This monitors the oxygen saturations in the blood. Belts are placed around the chest and abdomen. These belts record breathing effort and depth. During sleep, a video recorder will record any body movements such as thrashing, twitching, or excessive repositioning.

While you get ready to sleep…

Patients will be allowed to read or watch television while preparing to sleep. Water and small snacks are often allowed. Even though there are wires connected to almost every part of the body, most patients have no problem falling asleep. If a bathroom trip is needed, the electrodes stay connected to the patient. The wiring harness can be unhooked from the monitoring equipment and taken to the bathroom.

If extremely serious situations are discovered, the second half of the test will involve finding correct interventions. If the sleep is disruptive, but not an immediate life threat, the study will continue throughout the night in order to get as much information as possible. In the morning, the electrodes are removed and the patient is allowed to leave. The sleep study results will be evaluated by a doctor knowledgeable about sleep disorders and a synopsis sent the the patients ordering physician.

Although it may be uncomfortable knowing every move, scratch, and twitch is being recorded by sensors and camera, it is only for one night and may lead to a major life improvement. Most people who have a sleep apnea study actually embrace the test, knowing that an end to the sleep deprivation is near once all the facts are known.

Sleep apnea is only one of many different types of sleep disorders

Getting a restful nights sleep is vital to good health. Sleep deprivation affects memory, concentration, mood and learning ability. It can influence the body’s ability to heal properly after injury, illness or surgery. Sleep disorders can also affect other people in numerous ways. Family members may not rest properly due to loud snoring.

Co-workers may be carrying some of the sleep deprivation sufferer’s load. Driving may become a hazard for people who have one of the sleep disorders, since driving sleepy is as bad as driving drunk. If a doctor suspects a problem with a patient’s sleep, a sleep study will be scheduled. sleep studies help determine if there is a problem with a patients sleep and if so, what kind of disorder may me causing the issues.

Deprivation of sleep can be a primary condition or an underlying symptom of a medical condition. Figuring out if the sleep disorder is a symptom or a primary condition should be a top priority. One also needs to be correctly diagnosed with the proper disorder before treatment can be effective. Let’s take a quick look at some common disorders that interrupt sleep.

Some of the most common sleep disorders:

• Advanced or Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome: A syndrome characterized by increasingly earlier bedtimes or wake times until eventually the patient’s sleep schedule is not the same as average folks.

• Bruxism: Involuntary grinding, gnashing, or clenching of the teeth while sleeping.

• HatzFeldt Syndrome: Irregular sleep patterns and behaviors.

• Hypopnea Syndrome: Abnormally shallow inspirations or respiratory rate during sleep.

• Insomnia: Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or awakening too soon.

• Narcolepsy: Uncontrollable and inappropriate falling asleep at unwanted times.

• Night Terrors: Thrashing or waking from extremely terrifying and realistic nightmares.

• Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD): Involuntary limb movement during sleep.

• Rapid Eye Movement Behavior Disorder: During REM a patient physically acts out vivid dreams.

• Restless Leg Syndrome: An uncontrollable urge to move legs. This will be severe enough to disrupt sleep. Sufferers often have PLMD

• Shift Work Sleep Disorder: Workers that are on night shift often cannot adjust to sleeping during the day therefore exhibiting insomnia signs and symptoms.

• Sleep Paralysis: The body becomes paralyzed right before falling into a deep sleep, during sleep and for a bit of time after waking.

• Sleep Apnea: Breathing cessation either by blocked or collapsed airway or the brains inability to signal the body to continue breathing. Gasping, gagging, choking, and snoring often accompany this disorder.

• Somnambulism: Engaging in activities normal during waking hours such as eating, talking, walking, etc.

• Snoring: Loud noises emitted during sleep. Often caused by airway obstruction or swollen passages.

Your doctor may prescribe a sleep study to determine which type of these sleep disorders you have.

The symptoms of sleep apnea may not be obvious to the patient himself

Sleep Apnea is a debilitating and oftentimes life-threatening disorder characterized by breathing cessation during slumber. “Apnea” literally means to stop breathing. In sleep apnea sufferers, breathing can cease for just a few seconds or last for minutes. The first signs of sleep apnea are usually noticed by family members and include snoring and gagging.

Sleep apnea sufferers are usually tired all day, complain of headaches, and wake with sore throats, but these and other symptoms of sleep apnea can have other causes, as well.

Common symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• Waking up with a very sore and/or dry throat
• Loud snoring – sometimes loud enough to drive one’s sleeping partner to another room
• Occasionally waking up with a choking or gasping sensation
• Sleepiness or lack of energy during the day, or falling asleep at inappropriate times
• Sleepiness while driving or performing other somewhat boring activities
• Morning headaches, from sleep and oxygen deprivation
• Restless sleep, often noticed by one’s sleeping partner
• Forgetfulness, mood changes, depression and a decreased interest in sex
• Recurrent awakenings or insomnia

Sleep apnea is only one possible cause of the common symptoms of sleep apnea

For instance, a morning headache may be a symptom of sleep apnea, but it could also be caused by a number of other factors. Snoring can be caused by a stuffy nose from a cold or allergies; the consumption of alcohol before bedtime; enlarged adenoids; obesity; a deviated septum – and many other causes. Anxiety, depression and other mood disorders can be caused by excess stress, hormone disruptions such as hyperthyroidism, and many other causes.

Since the symptoms of  sleep apnea can also be signs of other illnesses, and some of those conditions are life-threatening, you doctor will want to do a thorough physical exam before making a diagnosis of sleep apnea.

Learning about sleep apnea causes and risks can help discover the right treatment program

When a person has sleep apnea, they will stop breathing up to hundreds of times a night, interrupting vital sleep cycles. Oxygen saturation can drop to critical levels. Oxygen deprivation may lead to cardiac issues and high blood pressure. Learning, memory and concentration are all adversely affected. Because sleep apnea has several serious side effects, finding specific sleep apnea causes is important for every sleep apnea patient, so appropriate treatment can be found to relieve the symptoms.

There are several sleep apnea causes associated with this disorder, and they can be related to the specific type of sleep apnea you happen to have. This can be determined by a sleep test. Your doctor will also want to do a thorough physical to reveal other possible causes of your sleep disorder. Then your doctor can discuss a proper treatment plan.

Preventable sleep apnea causes include smoking, obesity, and alcohol or drug abuse.

If a patient has one of these risk factors, they could possibly improve their sleep apnea or even stop their need for CPAP treatment by changing their lifestyle and personal habits. Patients should strive to lose weight, quit smoking, and refrain from alcohol and drug use before bed. Unfortunately, these are easier said than done.

• Smoking irritates the airway causing it to swell, and many patients who discontinue smoking will eventually experience fewer symptoms of sleep apnea .

• Obesity contributes to extra fat being deposited in and around the throat and oral cavity. Recent studies have also found that sleep apnea may contribute to obesity, so these two conditions need to be addressed together.

• Alcohol or drug abuse causes the body to relax so completely that it loses muscle tone, causing the airway to collapse. If  the brain is in a deeply altered state,  it cannot tell the body to tighten the airway muscles. Common over-the-counter sleep aids contain sedatives that can make sleep apnea worse. For this reason, sleep apnea sufferers should never take sleep aids without consulting a doctor.

Some sleep apnea causes cannot be easily controlled.

Sleep apnea causes such as anatomical deformities in the throat and airways, family history, aging, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, and being male all contribute to the increasing the risk of suffering from sleep apnea. If your head and neck shape is stout and squat and if your mouth is smaller than normal, sleep apnea may occur. Since anatomy is hereditary, a family history is another risk factor a patient can’t change. Aging brings on changes in the brain’s signals which affect the throat muscles and waking habits. Enlarged tonsils, tongue, and adenoids can take up space and decrease the size of the airway. More men suffer from sleep apnea than women, although researchers are not yet sure why this is true.

Sleep apnea is sometimes a symptom of another disorder

Sleep apnea can be a symptom instead of a primary disorder. Downs Syndrome, severe heartburn or GERD, vocal cord paralysis and other disorders are all primary conditions that can cause breathing cessation, obstructions in the airway or airway collapse. Careful and thorough management of the primary illness can reduce the severity of nighttime sleep-related apnea. This is one of the major reasons why your doctor will want to do a thorough medical exam and sleep study to find out exactly why your sleep apnea is occurring. Once the sleep apnea causes are understood, the right treatment can be found.

There are many different types of sleep disorder — some of the symptoms of these disorders can be helped with sleep aids of various kinds.

When sleep is elusive, a person becomes desperate for relief. There are many sleep aids on the market to help a person find some rest. Not all of them work for everyone. Some may work for one person, but not the next. Finding one thats works may become a daunting task, but well worth the effort once the desired amount of sleep each night is achieved. There are several different treatment options including pharmaceutical sleep aids, natural remedies, and holistic healing treatments.

The most important thing to consider before buying any type of sleep aid is to have your doctor find out exactly which kind of sleep disorder you suffer from. Many self-help or lifestyle changes, for instance, can help those with sleep apnea, but they may be completely ineffective if you suffer from another type of sleep disorder. Your doctor can order a sleep study to find out exactly what’s causing your insomnia or disrupted sleep.

Common medications for sleep disorders

Pharmaceuticals used as sleep aids include antidepressants, hypnotics and anxiolytics. Each have good points and drawbacks.

• Antidepressants are prescribed to the patient unable to sleep due to depression. These may be needed temporarily after the death of a loved one, for instance.
• Hypnotics and Sedatives are the most effective drugs when used as sleep aids with many types of sleep disorders. These drugs are very powerful and should never be taken with other sedating medications, drugs, or alcohol. The action of both sedating compounds will enhance the others, possibly resulting in coma or death.
• Anxiolytics, drugs used for the treatment of symptoms of anxiety, are used if anxiety is preventing sleep.

Natural sleep aids and remedies are becoming more and more popular.

It is easy to be scammed, because someone suffering from a lack of sleep can become quite desperate. Be sure to check out a company’s claims before spending money on any product. Over the counter herbal sleep aids often are not approved or regulated by the FDA, so be careful and make sure the company selling these products are reliable and trusted. Some of the most popular natural sleep aids are melatonin and Valerian. Other natural sleep aids are also available. Be sure to research each one before buying and trying.

Many times behavioral modification and holistic treatments aid in the search for good sleep.

These include aromatherapy, biofeedback, acupuncture and meditation to name a few. Lavender is one of the most popular scents used to promote sleep along with patchouli and chamomile. Biofeedback involves placing electrodes on one’s body, then using the information gathered to consciously train one’s self to slow respirations, control heart rates and lower blood pressure. Acupuncture as a sleep aid is suprisingly effective and should always be administered by a licensed practitioner. To effectively calm the mind before bed, try meditation. Classes are often available in larger towns and cities.

Sleep is a requirement of the human body. It cannot function properly without quality sleep. Sleep deprivation causes and intensifies many signs and symptoms. If a person is suffering from loss of sleep, every effort should be made to find a solution. If western medicine is not appealing, there are many natural and holistic treatments available. Whichever route is chosen, the end result must be better sleep in order to achieve or maintain good health, so before choosing any sleep aids, be sure to talk to your doctor.

Although sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder, many other patients suffer from sleep paralysis at least during some point in their lives.

Sleep paralysis, also called hypnogogic paralysis and hypnopompic paralysis, are characterized by the inability to more or speak after waking or just before falling asleep. This condition, also known as sleep paralysis, can cause lifelong psychological problems for the sufferer. Waking up and being unable to move is one of the most frightening things a person could experience.

Sleep paralysis affects approximately 20-30% of the population at least once in their life according to some surveys. It is considered a medical condition if it happens frequently.

How sleep paralysis occurs

During REM sleep, paralysis is a natural occurrence. The brain temporarily paralyzes the body’s muscles to prohibit injury during dreaming. Since you’re deeply asleep during this dreaming stage, you are unaware of the fact that you can’t easily move. When sleep paralysis happens at other times, particularly when you first wake up or in the few moments before you fall asleep, it becomes an issue many people find truly frightening.

Historically, sleep paralysis has been blamed on demons, alien abductions, myths, and legends. More recently it has been found to be caused by stress, lucid dreaming, irregular or interrupted sleep schedules, and sudden lifestyle or environmental changes.
It normally happens when the person is lying supine, on their backs. People suffering from sleep paralysis often also have, or are at an increased risk of developing, narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that causes excessive sleepiness and frequent daytime sleep attacks. For this reason, some sleep paralysis patients believe they have obstructive sleep apnea until a sleep study has shown the true cause of their daytime sleepiness.

Symptoms of sleep paralysis

Symptoms of sleep paralysis include vivid hallucinations of people or objects in the room, hovering close to the person’s body. These apparitions appear menacing and threatening. Voices are often heard talking, chanting, or singing. Often a full body pressure, like a weight on top of the torso and limbs, is reported. The sufferer also is unable to move upon awakening or just before sleeping, possibly due to the brain not registering the change in the sleep cycle quick enough. Sleep tests reveal muscle tone suppression, an abnormally quick onset of REM sleep, and dissociated REM sleep.

Sleep paralysis is oftentimes treated by lifestyle changes first. Stress should be reduced or kept to a minimum as much as possible. The patient should strive for seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Consistent sleep schedules should be strictly adhered to. Changing their sleeping position to their side may also help some individuals. Regular exercise is also important in order to strengthen muscle tone. Medication are prescribed to people whose nighttime paralysis does not improve with changes in lifestyle. Clonazepam and Ritalin are the usual drugs of choice. Ritalin is taken during the day to help regulate sleep schedules. Clonazepam is used before bedtime to prevent paralysis.

Learning to cope with sleep paralysis is encouraged. Understanding why it happens will ease some of the frightening feelings. Often people uselessly fight against the paralysis, struggling to move. Many sufferers state that relaxing their bodies and just letting it happen is beneficial to them. Patients should also seek a good counselor in order to express their helpless feelings in a positive way. Following through with a sleep study and taking medications as prescribed should improve or alleviate the sleep paralysis symptoms.

Over 4% of middle-aged adults have obstructive sleep apnea.

Central, obstructive, and mixed are the three types of sleep apnea. Approximately 84% of all people with sleep apnea have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, OSA. OSA occurs when the airway is blocked or collapsed partially or completely. This disorder is more common in adults but children can be affected too.

A patients head or neck shape, excess weight, or anatomical differences all can be causes of sleep apnea. Surgery can often correct these differences. Sometimes surgery is not an option or not effective and a patient will need to use an oral mouthpiece or a CPAP machine.

There are some obstructive sleep apnea causes that can be controlled or changed.

Losing weight, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol intake before bed are all factors that a patient can control. These self-help alternatives should be considered before CPAP therapy, since the machines are difficult for many patients to get used to.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which the airway collapses or is blocked. Airway collapse happens when the body relaxes so much during sleep that the muscle tone that keeps the airway open is lost. Blockages can be caused by the tongue, swollen tissues, or nasal deviations.

The person with obstructive sleep apnea typically doesn’t realize he/she has a problem. OSA sufferers commonly complain of sleepiness and fatigue during the day, headaches upon waking, and weight gain. Sometimes they may wake themselves with the loud snoring that also accompanies sleep apnea.

Family and friends are the best source of information about the patients symptoms.

They often witness gagging, choking, or gasping inspirations. The family also notices the personality changes, mood swings, and concentration problems associated with sleep deprivation, and may be kept awake by the loud snoring that often happens with obstructive sleep apnea.

CPAP and oral appliances can improve obstructive sleep apnea symptoms. Sleeping on the side instead of the back will also help with symptom reduction, and some patients have been helped when they switched to an adjustable bed or sleeping wedge. Surgical options are also available, but not all surgeries are effective for everyone.

A study of a patient’s airway and lifestyle needs to be completed before deciding on an sleep treatment plan. This will determine which option is best for that particular patient and facilitate a better surgical outcome.

The most commonly prescribed treatment is the CPAP. This machine has been reported by many to have changed their lives around. The CPAP holds the airway open with continuous air pressure. For OSA sufferers that mouth breathe, a full face mask may be needed, but for those who do not mouth breath, a small nasal mask will suffice.

Obstructive sleep apnea can be extremely serious because it can cause other medical problems. Heart disease, arrhythmia, and right sided heart failure have all been linked to obstructive sleep apnea. Patients are also at a risk for high blood pressure, stroke and above normal carbon dioxide levels. If a patient experiences any of these conditions, he/she should see their doctor immediately.

Support groups are available on line and in or around a patient’s hometown. Learning more about the disorder will help the OSA patient cope. Obstructive sleep apnea support groups give the patient knowledge and a place to ask questions among people who have lived with obstructive sleep apnea.

Most people who suffer from sleep apnea know there’s a connection between obesity and sleep apnea.

In fact, losing weight is one of the first things your doctor will suggest when you tell him you’re having trouble sleeping. What most people don’t know is there may be another connection between obesity and sleep apnea – it’s possible that sleep deprivation may actually be “helping” you gain weight!

Scientists have found a direct correlation between sleep deprivation and weight gain.

Sufferers of sleep apnea gain weight faster than people who get seven to nine good hours of sleep each night. 50% of diagnosed obstructed sleep apnea patients are overweight. In 2006 the Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick released results of a sleep deprivation study.

Astonishingly, they found that patients with sleep deprivation had twice the chance of becoming obese than those who obtained good sleep. Studies show that the rise in obesity mirrors the rise in diagnosed sleep apnea patients. Historically it was thought that obesity was a main culprit behind sleep apnea. It seems now the opposite may be true. This correlation between obesity and sleep apnea could change the way we think about this common sleep disorder.

There are two very important hormones that help regulate weight, Grehlin and Leptin. Grehlin is a hunger trigger. It increases the body’s need for food and regulates body weight. It has been found that deprivation of sleep raises Grehlin levels, possibly the body’s attempt to keep the mind active with increased nutrient intake. Leptin is a naturally occurring appetite suppressant. It tells the brain to quit eating. Leptin levels decrease with lack of sleep causing the person to become hungrier. The reversed levels of these hormones combined with the lack of exercise due to exhaustion is a recipe for weight gain, which may explain the connection between obesity and sleep apnea.

This creates a Catch 22 situation. Extra weight is not just stored around the abdomen or buttocks. It is stored everywhere including the neck, throat and oral airway. This added mass narrows the available space used for inspiration and expiration. Excess fat combined with loss of muscle tone while sleeping results in a blockage of the air passage by allowing the tongue to fall backwards and the airway to collapse.

The brain becomes deprived of oxygen and overloaded with carbon dioxide. This is the brain’s cue that something is wrong. It wakes the body in order to jump start breathing again. This can happen many times a night, often without the sufferers knowledge. With the constant interruption of sleep, sleep deprivation occurs. While awake, high calorie and sugared foods are inadvertently sought out in an attempt to energize the brain and body. Weight regulating hormone levels are negatively affected, initiating more weight gain which in turn make the sleep apnea worse.

Stopping the devastating lack of sleep/weight gain cycle should be a top priority. Every overweight person with sleep apnea needs to initiate a weight loss program along with their apnea treatment plan. Acquiring good sleep combined with weight loss will facilitate even more weight loss and even better sleep. Many once overweight sleep apnea patients no longer suffer from nocturnal apneas and do not need interventions or appliances. In essence, after losing weight, a patient may no longer have sleep apnea, so it’s important to cure both obesity and sleep apnea at the same time.