Potential Signs of Sleep Apnea and Treatment Options
Have you been told that you snore and that your breathing starts and stops while you’re asleep? Do you wake up in the morning feeling tired rather than well rested? According to the Mayo Clinic, these are potential signs that you may have a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea.
If you’re curious whether or not you have sleep apnea, you can take a home sleep test. Prior to or once you receive the results of this test, you may want to make an appointment with your regular physician.
The Mayo Clinic provides basic information on three types of sleep apnea. The first is obstructive sleep apnea, the second, central sleep apnea, and the third, complex sleep apnea syndrome.
Obstructive sleep apnea is considered to be the most common, and it occurs as a result of your throat muscles relaxing during sleep. Central sleep apnea, however, arises due to the muscles that regulate your breathing not receiving the appropriate signals from your brain. The third type, complex sleep apnea syndrome, is a combination of the two.
If you are diagnosed with one of the above types of sleep apnea, you may be interested to know that approximately 18 million people in the United States have this condition. It’s also been discovered that men experience sleep apnea about twice as much as women. Many individuals have undiagnosed cases of sleep apnea, and it is estimated that from 2% to 4% of the population has not been diagnosed.
When you meet with your physician, they will discuss treatment options. One of the most common and effective types of treatment is using a CPAP machine. CPAP is the acronym for “continuous positive airway pressure,” and these devices are designed to assist you with receiving sufficient oxygen while you sleep.
There are different types of CPAP masks and machines. While some people prefer nasal pillows, others prefer nasal masks or have no preference between the two types of CPAP masks. In addition to full face masks, there are also special CPAP masks for side sleepers.
When learning about the different types of CPAP masks, it’s important to carefully consider your choices because you want them to fit comfortably. While it may take a few days to get used to wearing a mask or nasal pillow, it’s important to keep wearing it. Once you realize how much more well-rested you are, it will be easier to adjust to wearing the mask or pillow.
if you discover that your nose or throat are dry in the morning, you may want to consider getting a CPAP machine with heated humidification. People over 60 seem to need this feature more often.
On a monthly basis, it’s important that you wear your CPAP mask every night for a minimum of four hours. This amounts to approximately 70% of the time recommended to receive the best treatment results. Since you want to be well-rested and avoid the potential health risks associated with sleep apnea, it’s important to follow your physician’s recommendations.
