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This information is brought to you by the fine folks at Health
Issues Today. The information here is meant as a stepping stone to more
in-depth diagnosis and treatment. Health
Issues Today strongly recommends you contact your doctor or other health
care provider if you suspect you may have sleep apnea. This is a very serious
disorder and the sooner caught and treated the better. Sleep apnea isn't anything
to fool around with, get professional help!
Treatment for those suffering from sleep apnea is geared towards returning to a state of restful sleep with normal breathing patterns throughout the night. As well treatment is often meant to relieve or all together rid a sleep apnea sufferer of symptoms such as loud snoring, choking or gasping throughout the night and excessive tiredness during the day. Sleep apnea treatments are also very beneficial in lowering high levels of blood pressure and decreasing the risk that a patient will suffer a stroke or heart attack in the future.
Lifestyle changes are the first course of treatment. These include quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol at least four hours before bedtime and not consuming any type of sleeping pill or sedative. For those who are overweight losing weight is recommended. Even a few pounds loss can be helpful for those suffering from mild sleep apnea. It is also recommended that sleep apnea sufferers sleep on their side and not their stomach or their back. Which side is not of much importance but sleeping on one's side can serve to keep the throat and airways clear and open. Oversized pillow are not recommended and neither is it recommended to use more than one pillow while you sleep. These lifestyle changes might be enough to help those suffering from mild cases of sleep apnea but moderate to severe sufferers will need to go one step further.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is routinely used to treat cases of sleep apnea. A mask is worn over the nose while the patient is sleeping. The purpose of the mask is to blow air continuously into the throat to help keep it clear and open. The air pressure level is set ahead of time for what is adequate for the patient. Many patients notice less symptoms and more restful sleeps once they begin using CPAP. Snoring may cease due to this treatment method but that does not mean that you can give up using CPAP or that automatically your sleep apnea has gone away for good. It is important to point out that while snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea, not all people who have this condition snore. As well there are people who snore who do not suffer from sleep apnea.
Continuous positive pressure as a treatment method is effective only if it is used as instructed and is used on a consistent basis. Often stopping its use will cause all of the patient's symptoms to return. It is important to talk with your doctor about your concerns in regards to sleep apnea and this method of treatment.
CPAP is a treatment that is used form home and generally a sleep technician arrives at your home with the equipment and sets up the special CPAP machine next to your bed. The technician will set it to the air pressure determined by the patient's doctor and can return to make adjustments to it as is needed.
CPAP treatment comes with side effects that might bother some sleep apnea sufferers. These side effects include stuffy and/or dry nose, irritation of facial skin, sore eyes, stomach bloating and headaches.
Written by: Scott Parat
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