Every night, before I crawl into bed, I don what looks like a small jet-fighter oxygen mask attached to a small machine by four feet of tubing. I push a button on the machine and it sends a steady stream of air flowing down my throat. I do this to get a good night’s sleep, and because I don’t relish the idea of dying during the night.
Defining Sleep Apnea
As many of you probably guessed, I have sleep apnea, and the machine is my CPAP mask and pump. It’s as essential to my health as natural lawn fertilizer is to an organic garden.
Sleep apnea causes people to stop breathing while they sleep, sometimes for hundreds of instances a night, and in severe cases, for up to a minute at a time. Obstructive sleep apnea is most common: the throat muscles relax and collapse, blocking the airways. A less common type of apnea, central sleep apnea occurs when the brain sends irregular breathing signals.
Sleep Apnea Health Complications
In either case the result is the same a lack of oxygen occurs that interrupts sleep. Even if the sleeper doesn’t fully wake up, sleep quality suffers. Excessive daytime sleepiness develops—prior to treatment I would drift off to sleep while reading, watching television and (according to my wife) even while I was eating.
The potential for accidents should be obvious, especially if you work with heavy machinery or drive for a living. Additionally, long-term sleep apnea increases your risk for a host of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.
Signs of Sleep Apnea
Excessive daytime sleepiness, or hypersomnia, is a common symptom of sleep apnea. You may also wake up repeatedly at night and have difficulty falling back to sleep. Other symptoms may include dry mouth and a sore throat upon waking. Sleep apnea also interferes with your mental processes and attention. After all, it’s hard to focus when you’re exhausted.
Despite the sometimes debilitating nature of these symptoms, it’s often the sleep apnea sufferer’s partner who first notices something’s amiss. Excessive snoring, a common result of obstructive sleep apnea, disrupts your partner’s sleep. While awake, he or she may notice that you stop breathing while asleep. Lying in the dark waiting to see if your spouse starts breathing again is, as I’m told, an agonizing occurrence.
Treatment and Lifestyle Changes
Diagnosis of sleep apnea requires a sleep test, either at home or more commonly at a sleep disorder center. Once sleep apnea is confirmed, you have a number of treatment options. Mild cases may be controlled with lifestyle changes. Losing weight and quitting smoking can relieve symptoms.
For moderate to severe sleep apnea, CPAP or BiPAP machines are used. Both deliver a stream of air into the airways, keeping the upper airway passages open. Wearing a CPAP mask to bed takes some getting used to, but most people get used to it over time. It’s well worth it for a good night’s sleep.
Author Bio: Michelle is a blogger and freelancer. She’s written about almost every topic under the sun, and loves constantly learning about new subjects and industries while she’s writing. In her spare time she enjoys spending time outdoors with her dogs. Follow her on Twitter and Google+.
