Sleep Apnea/CPAP
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is when breathing stops repeatedly during sleep because an airway collapses, preventing air from getting to the lungs. Sleep apnea disrupts sleep, which causes people to feel sleepy and fatigued during the day.
Sleep Apnea Causes
There are a number of reasons why some people have sleep apnea while others do not:
- • Extra tissue at the back a person’s airway like large muscles
• Decrease in the tone of muscles holding the airway open
• The tongue falling back and closing off the airway
Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Snoring, interrupted by pauses in breathing
Gasping or choking during sleep
Restless slepp
Excessive sleepiness or fatigue during the day
Large neck size (greater than 17-inches in men; greater than 16-inhes in women)
Crowded airway
Morning headaches
Sexual dysfunction
Frequent night urination
Poor judgment or concentration
Irritability
High Blood Pressure
Depression
Obesity
Steps to Treating Sleep Apnea
Speak to your primary physician who may refer you to a specialist in sleep disorders.
Have a sleep study done. A sleep study is done overnight at a hospital or facility that is equipped to monitor you while you sleep. The valuable diagnostic information will help your doctor diagnose the problem and outline treatment options.
Treatment Options
CPAP (Continous Positive Airway Pressure) pronounced “see-PAP.”
Surgery
Oral appliances
Lifestyle changes including weigh loss if needed, exercise and avoidance of alcohols, sedatives and hypnotics.
CPAP, How Does it Work
CPAP treats Obstructuve Sleep Apnea by providing a gentle flow of positive-pressure air through a mask to splint the airway open during sleep.
Benefits include:
Breathing becomes regular
Snoring stops
Restful sleep
Improved quality of life
Reduced risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, motor vehicle and work-related accidents.