Naturally as human beings we all like to indulge in sleep. But what if you couldn't? I'm talking about those people who show signs of sleep apnea with the main one being sleep deprivation.
Authorities in the medical world have stated sleep as an avenue by which the human body invigorates itself. By which the body recharges itself and gets ready for the next set of activities.
About The Author:
My name is Rikta Bown and I am a researcher of Mattress and Sleep products. I publish all my research on Mattresses Guide and am a family man and love to pass time with my wife and son. I also love to travel and hang out with positive people when I find the time!
Sleep essentially makes one feel better and in actual sense of the word, it is actually beyond improving the mood, or taking those pleasurable beauty sleeps. It is actually a pivotal part of a healthy lifestyle that benefits the bodies organs.
To be more stringent, sleep is in fact useful for continued actions of the human body. A human being deprived of sleep in whatever way would have it all written all over his or her face in the form of visible stress lines.
What Are The Signs Of Sleep Apnea
Now to the main topic of this compilation which is signs and symptoms as to what causes sleep apnea. Finding its causes and offering helpful suggestions on how to combat it is the main topic I want to talk about.
Sleep apnea occurs when a person’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. And its symptoms include snoring, sleepiness, waking up several times to urinate, decreased libido, irritable morning headaches, heartburn, restless sleep caused by frequent body movement and rapid eye movement (REM) during sleep.
Types Of Sleep Apnea
The main types of sleep apnea include:
1. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Which mostly occurs when the throat muscles relax.
2. Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome
This requires immediate treatment and occurs when someone has both obstructive and central sleep apnea.
3. Central Sleep Apnea
This basically occurs when the brain doesn’t properly send signals to the muscles involved in the breathing process.
Causes Of Sleep Apnea
Now after fully highlighting the main types of sleep apnea, the causes will be discussed using each as a template. For obstructive sleep apnea, the cause includes:
1. Gender
This is of course a very important factor to consider, as studies have shown that men are twice likely to have sleep apnea. However, the risk of developing this sleep disorder can be higher for women if they are overweight. In relation to body mass index and all.
2. Lifestyle
General mode of living the life such as the use of alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers and other related substances. And even in smokers, they are three times more likely to have and show signs of sleep apnea compared to non-smokers. As smoking tends to increase the amount of inflammation and fluid retention in the upper airway. And this most likely drops when the individual quits smoking.
3. Neck Circumference
People with thicker necks or a widened neck circumference. Which is about 17 inches or larger for men and in women, about 15 inches.
4. Excess Weight
As mentioned earlier, weight is one of the predisposing factors for having obstructive sleep apnea and people who are obese or overweight have about 4 times the risk of developing apnea than normal weight people. But of course as in every fact, there are exceptions and in this, it is that not all overweight people have sleep apnea.
5. Family History
As in a lot of bodily disorders the family history forms a major point of the diagnosis of sleep apnea. As there is higher risk of developing apnea if one has family members who do.
6. Nasal Congestion
When an individual already has difficulty in breathing due to a blocked nose, whether it is as a result of anatomical problems or due to allergies, one is more likely to develop sleep apnea.
Causes Of Central Sleep Apnea
1. Old Age
Older people are more likely at risk to develop sleep apnea than the younger ones or individuals of lower age bracket.
2. The Use Of Narcotic Analgesics
The use of narcotic pain medications, opioids, such as heroin and even the long acting ones tends to increase the risk of developing central sleep apnea.
3. Stroke
People who have had a stroke are usually more at risk of developing sleep apnea compared to non-stroke patients.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
Sleep Apnea Treatment actions for include:
- Lifestyle changes,
- The use of various therapies such as the continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP),
- Mandibular repositioning devices,
- Quitting smoking, avoidance of alcohol, sleeping pills, and sedatives.
- Regular exercise, aerobic and resistance training can help reduce sleep apnea symptoms.
- Sleeping on the side, elevating the head when one wants to sleep, the nasal passages can also be opened at night to aid proper sleep.
- The use of nasal sprays, breathing strips, or a nasal irrigation system.
Recognizing The Signs Of Sleep Conclusion
As the final solution to treating your sleep apnea, surgery can be an option also, however this must be embarked upon by a qualified sleep apnea practitioner. When you have signs of sleep apnea, all of these above mentioned treatment options are exploited usefully in managing sleep apnea.
