Sleep apnea is a type of medical condition that causes breathing to reduce through almost 25% of the normal breathing quality and most of the time causes breathing to stop for a duration of ten seconds or more. Disturbed sleep, snoring and waking up suddenly because of a feeling of choking are typical symptoms of sleep apnea; but there are a number of other symptoms that also indicate sleep apnea. Snoring sleep apnea is perhaps the most common type of sleep apnea which affects people. However, it should be noted that snoring isn’t to be equated with sleep apnea.
Causes
Snoring sleep apnea can be caused due to a number of reasons. The primary reason for this type of sleep apnea may be the obstruction in breathing that leads to loud snoring. For the reason that of the blockage of ventilation from the nose into the mouth area that snoring takes place as well as results in pauses in breathing, dry throat and gasping or noises that sound like choking.
Another factors that might lead to snoring sleep apnea are obesity, large adenoids or tonsils, having a deviated nasal septum or an enlarged tongue, nasal blockage or even congestion because of a cold, allergy, smoking or having neck and tongue muscles that have a tendency to relax more than regular while one is asleep due to the use of sedatives, alcohol as well as advancing age.
Risks involved in sleep apnea
When a person suffers from snoring sleep apnea he exposes himself to a quantity of health risks. The primary one becoming reduced amount of oxygen reaching the actual blood stream. This oxygen deprivation also affects the brain because during sleep apnea a person stops breathing for a period of time. Some of the health problems that can be caused or aggravated by snoring sleep apnea include:
•Strokes
•High blood pressure
•Concentration problems
•Memory problems
•Heart diseases
•Sexual dysfunction
•Irritability and mood swings
Depression has also been associated with snoring sleep apnea . One out of five people identified as having sleep apnea is likely to get affected by depression. It has also been observed that sleep apnea tends to worsen existing conditions of depression. Though it cannot be certainly established that it is sleep apnea that causes depression or that depression causes sleep apnea, studies have shown that depressive disorders has been alleviated in a number of cases while a patient has been handled for sleep apnea.
Detection and cure
Snoring sleep apnea cannot be detected by an individual as all these symptoms such as snoring and pausing whenever breathing occur while the first is sleeping. However, if you visit a medical practitioner or a sleep specialist he or she will be able to tell if are suffering from sleep apnea with the help of blood tests or through routine medical examinations. Snoring sleep apnea is actually curable and apart from the treatment that you doctor gives you, you could additionally help yourself by:
•Losing pounds ,
•Stopping the use of cigarettes, alcohol or any sedatives,
•Sleeping with your head elevated and on your aspect ,
•Trying to maintain regular hours for sleep,
•Trying to open your nasal passages with the help of nose aspirators, saline sprays etc.
If you want to learn more, you can visit http://www.SleepApneaZone.org.
Posted under Sleep Apnea Cause
This post was written by assistant on March 26, 2011


