Characteristics, Symptoms and Treatments of Sleep Apnea

Characteristics of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a serious sleeping disorder characterized by a frequent breathing termination or significant breathing reduction. A person suffering a sleep apnea of any type is getting disrupted sleep and blocked air supply to lungs. This apparently causes the oxygen level in the blood to drop and the normal breathing pattern starts with a loud snort or choking sound.

Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Having sleep apnea, the normal sleeping pattern is usually getting interrupted throughout the night which causes the affected person not to reach a good night sleep. This poor sleep directs to exhaustion and getting sleepy in the daytime. It also may lead to drowsy driver syndrome which could increase the risk of road accidents.

Additionally, the lack of oxygen supply puts a serious threat over cardiovascular system. Our lungs try hard to deliver oxygen in sufficient amount to all of our bodily organs and areas, even though there is a marked reduction of blood oxygen level. This strain causes hypertension and eventually increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

People at Risk

The fact is apnea may attack anyone regardless of the age. Studies shows that there’s an estimated of more than 12 million Americans are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. Commonly, there are few essential criteria that make individual more vulnerable towards having apnea, such as loud snoring, overweight or obesity, high blood pressure, decreased air passage size in noses, mouth and throats.

Also, a family history is also believed to be an influential factor. African Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics are at higher risk for sleep apnea than Caucasians. According to NHLBI, one out of twenty five middle-aged men and one out of fifty middle-aged women have sleep apnea which means men are twice more vulnerable towards sleep apnea than same aged women. Sleep apnea is in fact more common in Hispanics, African Americans and Pacific Islanders than in Caucasians and may also occur in children. If you find your child is snoring, you must not be late to visit doctor.

Sleep Apnea Treatments

The aim of the treatment includes restoration of normal nighttime breathing and relief different symptoms of sleep apnea like snoring, daytime sleepiness, etc. In addition, treatment methods also focus on alleviating other related health conditions such as high blood pressure and obesity so that the risk of heart attack and stroke can be possibly minimized.

The most frequent treatment method is what they call continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). With this type of treatment, the person with sleep apnea is asked to wear a specific mask over the nose at the time they are sleeping. This mask helps the individuals to blow the air sufficiently at an appropriate pressure level. You can also stop snoring through sleeping apnea treatment but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t have sleep apnea anymore or you should stop doing the CPAP treatment.