Sleep apnea is a kind of sleep disorder that can affect the quality on how you to sleep. In people with sleep apnea, they can experience breathing pauses during sleep - and these breathing pauses can occur hundreds of times when they sleep. And this condition is not good for the body and brain to get adequate O2 supply during sleep. In essence, people with this disorder cannot get good quality of sleep which then can generate other health problems.Unfortunately, there are still many people who don’t clearly understand what sleep apnea actually is?!! And there are a lot of myths and wrong opinions about this disorder. Take a few minutes to read the following myths and facts of sleep apnea so thus you can understand more about this sleep disorder!
Is this sleep disorder dangerous?
Poor quality of sleep can affect the performance of the brain and body. If you experience some symptoms of sleep apnea, you need to see a doctor promptly!
Untreated this disorder has been linked to many problems, such as; excessive sleep that can make patient fall to sleep anytime (this can contribute in causing lack of energy and concentration which then can raise your risk of getting car accidents or job-related accidents/injuries).
Furthermore, this sleep disorder is also often linked to other health problems, particularly such as; depression, strokes, and heart attack.
The risk of this disorder is only high for elderly people?!
Older age is one of risk factors, in other words this disorder is relatively more common in elderly people (particularly after the age of 40). But this doesn’t mean that this disorder cannot occur in young people -- sleep apnea can affect individuals of all ages, including children.
Furthermore, this sleep disorder also can be inherited -- so you may experience the same condition if you have a family history of sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea and weight gain!
Generally, many studies confirm that poor sleep or lack of sleep can contribute in causing weight gain. The quality of your sleep can affect certain hormones (like ghrelin and leptin) in the body to control feelings of fullness and hunger.
And some studies also found that being overweight can increase your risk of developing sleep apnea. Therefore, this disorder is also pretty common in people with obesity.
If you are being overweight and you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, you need to lose your excess pounds to get back your healthy weight! For mild case, getting back your normal weight will be effective to treat your disorder. Losing your excess weight can give a significant result to treat your sleep apnea -- according to a U.S. study published in 2009.
Don’t forget also to quit smoking if you are smoker, because cigarette smoking also can make your symptoms worse -- cigarette smoking is one of sleep apnea risk factors.
Should you drink alcohol to help you?
People with sleep apnea may have idea to drink alcohol or use sleeping-pills to help them in getting good night’s sleep. Well… you may be drowsy with a nightcap, but this is not good idea and will not be helpful enough to promote good sleep!
Even alcohol can contribute in causing blocked-airway, because it can relax the throat’s muscles. So drinking alcohol is not recommended if you have OSA (one of both sleep apnea types). OSA stands for obstructive sleep apnea (the most common type).
Treatments
The sleep apnea treatment options are available in several choices, from simple/conservative treatments (for mild case) to surgery /other advance solutions (for severe case). Some of conservative treatments are self-care option, but sometimes you need professional health assistance. Talk more with your health care provide or doctor for more in-depth information.
The following are some self-care sleep apnea treatments:
- Generally, cigarette smoking and drinking alcohol excessively are not good for health. And as mentioned before, if you have OSA -- you need to avoid alcohol and you need to stop smoking (if you are smoker)!
- The raised cravings for carbohydrates can occur if you experience sleep deprivation. And this can put you at higher risk of weight gain which then can make your sleep apnea symptoms worse. So, you need to have the right strategy to control what you eat in order to keep well your healthy weight or lose your excess weight if you are overweight! Always prioritize healthy foods and restrict yourself from unhealthy foods! Consult and discuss more with your doctor for more advices!
- Changes in your sleep positions! Your doctor usually also asks you to choose sleeping on your side instead on your back. Sleeping on your side may be helpful for you to open throat during sleep. On the other hand, sleeping on your back is more likely bad for your sleep apnea because it tends to create blocked-airways during sleep. Your doctor may also recommend special pillow to help you to keep comfortable while sleeping on your side.
- And your doctor usually also recommend using CPAP device to help you to get good sleep in treating your sleep apnea. It stands for continuous positive airway pressure, which is designed to help you to keep your airway open during sleep. CPAP is common treatment for adults who have OSA (moderate to severe OSA).
- For mild case -- another alternative option is a special mouthpiece designed by an orthodontist or dentist. It is a kind oral appliance and usually relatively easier to use. Like CPAP, this oral appliance is also purposed to keep open airway while you sleep. But it may be less effective in treating sleep apnea if compared with CPAP option.
Reference: WebMD
Image credit to ‘shutterstock’ for illustration
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