Are You an Obstructive Sleep Apnea Sufferer?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a form of sleep-disordered breathing. Patients who suffer from this disorder exhibit interruptions in their breathing throughout their sleep cycles. They simply stop breathing for 10 or more seconds at a time, several times during the night. And the interruptions usually go unnoticed to the sleep apnea sufferers themselves. In fact it’s much more common for a patient’s sleep partner to notice the problem before the patient themselves.

That’s because the primary symptoms of OSA are general fatigue or a sleepiness that lingers most of the day. In today’s hustle and bustle world though, these symptoms are everywhere so it’s not uncommon for a patient to attribute them to other things or to even get used to them and forget they’re really happening.

There are however some serious health issues that can occur if obstructive sleep apnea is long-running or severe. The gaps or pauses in breathing steal oxygen from the body. That can result in impaired cognitive function – your ability to reason or concentrate. It can also contribute to congestive heart failure.

The reason people suffer from OSA is because they experience nightly obstructions in their airways while they sleep. In many cases the obstruction occurs because the throat’s soft muscle tissue relaxes onto itself shrinking the airway and in some cases temporarily blocking it. When this happens, breathing temporarily stops, oxygen stops travelling to the brain and rest is disturbed.

Of the men and women who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, most are either in their senior citizen years or significantly overweight. Those two groups of people tend to have poorer muscle tone in and around their airways and are thus more prone to the nightly blockages. In a smaller number of cases, there’s a structural problem that contributes to the apnea.

Sleep apnea can be treated and treated effectively. For the chronically overweight or obese, changing lifestyle habits to embrace more healthy eating and exercise routines can go a long way toward reducing the apnea. When lifestyle changes aren’t enough, there is an additional treatment that works very successfully. It’s called CPAP or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.

CPAP is a treatment method that’s been around since the 1980’s. It consists of a machine that delivers a constant stream of air pressure to a mask. The CPAP mask is worn by the patient as they sleep and the pressure works to keep the patient’s airway open and unobstructed. With the airway open, the patient can breathe easily and normally – and finally get a good night’s sleep.

As sleep-disordered breathing modalities go, obstructive sleep apnea is the most common. And because it is so easy to miss or ignore, it can also lead to serious long-term consequences. If you think you may be suffering from OSA, see your doctor. If you think your sleep partner may be a victim of OSA, talk to them and get them to see their doctor. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

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