Jun 08, 2010 | Uncategorized
Many people today are familiar with the condition of sleep apnea; the word “apnea” simply refers to a temporary stoppage of breathing and so sleep apnea is when a person stops breathing for a few moments during sleep. What most people don’t know, however, is that there are two main types – obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.
While obstructive sleep apnea is somewhat self-explanatory – it results from an obstruction in the throat or sinuses such as excessive tissue around the soft palate (the area on the roof of the mouth near the back) or a sinus infection and so on, central sleep apnea refers to an actual defect in the way the brain signals the body to breathe while sleeping. Even though this type of sleep apnea is less common it is still very dangerous and can even be deadly.
Common Causes of Central Sleep Apnea
Obviously the cause of central sleep apnea will be different for each patient or sufferer but common causes include radiation treatment to the area of the spine, surgery of the spine or areas surrounding it, and encephalitis. Encephalitis is a swelling or inflammation of the brain and can be very dangerous and even deadly on its own, however, it also interferes with the body’s signals to the respiratory system that keep a body breathing.
This is the difficulty and danger with central sleep apnea; many people don’t realize that the body needs to tell itself to breathe at all times in order for the lungs to work properly. Brain damage or damage to the spine that carries these signals telling the body how to work can result in no signal to breathe.
Treating Central Sleep Apnea
As of right now there is no cure for central sleep apnea; scientists still have much work to do when it comes to mapping out the brain and treating disorders of it and the spine. However there are some things that a patient or sufferer can do.
For one, the use of a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine may be helpful. These machines push oxygen into the lungs on a continuous and regular basis. There are also some medications one might take such as acerazlamide and theophyllinr, which stimulate the body’s need to breathe.
In any circumstance a patient with central sleep apnea needs to be in constant contact with their doctor and follow their recommendations carefully.
Lisa Davies is a freelance writer. For more information about sleep apnea visit our site Snoring Remedies at http://www.snorelesssleepmore.com
Jun 08, 2010 | Uncategorized
Sleeping is very vital to an individual’s life. It is an activity wherein the body and mind is relaxed, all the body systems are put to rest, and it is an activity wherein we can find solemnity and peacefulness. As we sleep, the body itself stores energy and regains back strength. It also allows the cells in our body to regenerate and thus giving us a good and healthy body. Just imagine how people will look like if they don’t get enough rest and sleep. Probably they will look like zombies walking around the street, creepy and very scary.
An average of eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is already enough to rest all the nerves in our body. It is already enough to store energy for the next day’s use. When we have uninterrupted sleep, we are assured of having a great and pleasant day ahead. But if we are constantly interrupted as we are sleeping, chances are we will have headaches, we are not going to be in the mood for work and play, we will appear tired and stressed, and we will have a poor performance at work.
There are some individual’s out there who are suffering from different sleeping disorders and this alone gives him an interrupted sleep. The sleeping pattern is disturbed especially to the partner side. One very common sleeping disorder is sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is characterized as having a temporary stoppage of an individual’s breathing during his sleep. The end result of having sleep apnea is having daytime sleepiness, being stressed and having headaches and loss of concentration. This is a very serious form of disease that if left untreated may become the reason of an individual’s death.
Obstructive sleep apnea is one of the most experienced and common type of sleep apnea. This occurs when the muscles of the soft palate located at the base of the tongue and the uvula are in a relaxed state which will then obstructs the passage of air. The air obstruction decreases the oxygen level in an individual’s blood. This is very common among overweight men and women and those individual’s belonging in the middle age group.
The symptoms of sleep apnea includes loud snoring, daytime sleepiness, gasping for air during sleep, and sudden awakening. When these signs and symptoms are observed, it is best that you immediately consult your physician and report to him the observations you have noted. The effective treatment of sleep apnea is CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. There are plenty of CPAP machines for sleep apnea treatment and you can avail to that in hospitals or you can even buy one if you can.
In this type of treatment, you are required to wear a mask and then the physician sets up the CPAP settings for sleep apnea treatment. The air is gently forced towards the nose in order for the airway to be opened. The mask differs in size and to the degree of comfort in every individual.
If you want to have uninterrupted sleep, then it is best that you maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid taking in alcohol and avoid smoking. This is one way to prevent the occurrence of sleep apnea.
It is important that an individual gets a right amount of sleep in order for him to maintain a healthy body. Sleep is a form of body rest and it helps relax the mind and other organs in the body. However, getting the right amount of sleep is impossible once an individual experiences obstructive sleep apnea. This is a form of sleep disorder which hinders an individual to sleep soundly at night. To learn more important details, you can visit http://www.CPAPSleepApnea.org and search through the different information of this type of sleep apnea