Sleep Apnea – What you Need to Know

Sleep apnea is a medical condition when breathing is interrupted during sleep, which might be caused by the person’s airways contracting, making them unable to breathe. Of course, you wake up when this happens, possibly unaware of the intrusion and try to get back to sleep. This can occur many times during the night, leaving a person with a terrible night’s sleep.

There are people that suffer from sleep apnea who are not aware; if a person sleeps alone, they may never know that their sleep pattern is being affected like this, at least until a doctor investigates. If you don’t sleep alone, your partner cannot fail to notice the sounds and movements that come with sleep apnea, which should alert you that something is not right.

There are 3 types of sleep apnea:

1. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) – The most common form when the throat muscles relax and cause airway obstruction.
2. Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) – Caused by the brain signals to breathe being interrupted.
3. Treatment-emergent central sleep apnea – This can arise when a person receives treatment for OSA, which then becomes CSA.

Effective treatment

You can buy CPAP machines in Australia from a reputable local supplier and the Constant Positive Airway Pressure machine delivers the pressured air to prevent the throat muscles from collapsing. These machines work for most people and there are many features, including:

• Automatic humidification – Water or waterless models.
• Adjustable pressure – You can set the CPAP machine to deliver less pressure until you are asleep when the pressure gradually increases to ensure a good night of sleep.
• Mask alarm – Should the face mask become dislodged, the machine senses this and an audible alarm is sounded.

Symptoms of sleep apnea

The symptoms include:

• Loud snoring
• Periods of interrupted breathing during sleep
• Headaches in the morning
• Waking with a dry mouth
• Insomnia
• Drowsiness in day time
• Irritability
• Difficulty to focus

If you are suffering from any of the above, make an appointment with your GP and he can refer you to a sleep specialist, who may recommend buying a CPAP machine.

Online solutions

The cheapest place to find quality CPAP machines is an online supplier. A Google search will connect you with Australia’s leading CPAP machine dealer, where you can choose a model that suits your lifestyle. Of course, you need to be sure that CPAP is the best treatment and if that is the case, the online supplier has you covered for machines and all the accessories

While loud snoring often indicates sleep apnea, this is not always the case so you may need to be observed during your sleep pattern by an expert, who can determine the precise issues.

Factors to consider

The following may have some bearing:

• Obesity – Overweight people can suffer from closed airways.
• Neck circumference – A thicker neck is more conducive to sleep apnea.
• Gender – Males are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea.
• Family history – There is some evidence of genetic disposition.
• Alcohol & sedative medication – Both can cause the throat muscles to relax during sleep.
• Smoking – If you are a smoker, you are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea.
• Medical conditions – It is often the case whereby a person’s medical condition causes sleep apnea.

Most doctors will refer a patient to a sleep apnea specialist if they suspect interrupted sleep patterns.