Sleep Apnea

What exactly is it?

Sleep Apnea usually takes effect when you're sleeping. It is when you stop breathing due to the muscles becoming relaxed and tissues closing in to block the airway. This occurs for a few seconds at a time. This is another one that seems easy to explain but has a lot of symptoms behind it. One of the main causes is obesity.

-Image from Mayo Clinic

Statistics

Around 18-22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, and about 10 million Americans still remain undiagnosed. Sleep apnea is more prevalent in men than women.

You can see more statistics here.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms include snoring, daytime sleepiness, nightmares, sleep deprivation, mouth breathing, and even insomnia. Sleep apnea can also lead to a dry mouth/dry throat, sudden drops in oxygen levels (leading to hypertension), and even weight gain.

How can I treat it?

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)

A CPAP Machine will act as a strapped-on mask to pump a steady air flow through the nose. It is built to help relieve nighttime problems through a mode of respiratory ventilation. A prescription is required.

Physical Exercise

This kind of activity for at least 20-30 minutes for about a few days a week can improve cardiovascular health (the term used to describe diseases). This kind of daily routine can lead to weight loss, which both detracts snoring and is one of the biggest causes of sleep apnea.

Surgery

This kind of surgery involves removing and/or repositioning excess tissue in the throat to make the airway wider. Types of surgerys include Tonsillectomy, removal of the tonsils, Adenoid removal, removal of the adenoids, and Palatoplasty, Plastic surgery to repair a split in the roof of the mouth (cleft palate).

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