Treating Sleep Apnea And Snoring
Gabriel Adams
Millions of people all across the globe suffer from snoring and
or sleep apnea. We all know what snoring is – most of us have
probably had a less than favorable experience with a snorer.
Sleep apnea is a condition that causes a person to temporarily
stop breathing during their sleep. The period that the person
does not breath is called an apnea, and may last 10 seconds or
more. Many times, patients will not be aware that of these
apneas, even though their sleep is disturbed. Patients
suffering from sleep apnea may only notive symptoms such as
fatigue, depression, sleepiness during the day, etc. Apnea may
be of the obstructive (usually caused by a restriction of the
airways) or central (caused by a lapse in the signals to breath
from the brain) type.
Apnea is more common in obese individuals, people who drink
alcohol, and Downs Syndrome patients. If untreated, sleep apnea
can be deadly, as it can cause heart failure, brain damage, etc.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA, is easily treated using
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, or CPAP. CPAP was first
developed in 1981 by Colin Sullivan in Sydney, Australia. After
some developments and improvements, this treatment method became
widely accepted and used by the end of the 1980's.
A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine is designed to
blow air at a specified pressure into the patients airways via
a mask. Many patients are at first reluctant to try CPAP, due
to its clumsy and inconvenient nature, but most patients become
accommodated to the treatment relatively quickly. Also, CPAP is
highly effective, and many patients will notice a remarkable
difference in sleep the first night they use CPAP.
The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure is also quite effective
at treating snoring, as it is also caused by restrictions of the
airways, much like obstructive sleep apnea. Note, though, that
CPAP is not helpful in treating central sleep apnea.
About The Author: Visit CPAP Europe, your CPAP supplier to
learn about how CPAP can benefit you.
http://www.cpap-europe.com
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