Sleep apnea is perhaps the commonest of all sleep disorders and affects almost 18,000,000 people in the US. A sleep disorder characterized by interrupted breathing while sleeping, it is also unquestionably the most dangerous of sleep disorders because it deprives the brain of critical oxygen and can sometimes prove fatal.
There are two quite different types of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is in effect a neurological condition where breathing is interrupted as a result of signals sent from the brain. Obstructive sleep apnea by contrast is in effect a mechanical problem where the windpipe is blocked either by too much tissue or by the unusual relaxation or collapse of muscle tissue around the windpipe. In either case however the results are effectively identical with frequent interruptions to normal breathing that deprive the brain of oxygen and place the sufferer at heightened risk from things like hypertension, heart attack and stroke.
Unluckily, diagnosing sleep apnea can prove to be a problem because snoring, which is one of its commonest symptoms and often leads to sleep apnea being referred to as the snoring disease, is also present as a symptom of a variety of other medical conditions. Snoring is certainly often seen with sleep apnea because the brain counters a drop in oxygen by awakening the sufferer enough to restart breathing and this generally results in snoring.
This repeated awakening through the night also results in a very poor quality of sleep and it is quite common for sufferers to wake up in the morning feeling even more tired than when they went to bed. This also leads to feelings of sheer exhaustion during the day and a great need to sleep.
But, tiredness resulting from poor quality sleep is only part of the problem and a variety of other symptoms will also generally be seen including morning headaches, forgetfulness and a difficulty in concentrating.
Without treatment the increasing tiredness resulting from sleep apnea can cause significant psychological problems starting with tetchiness and progressing to depression with obvious changes in mood and behavior.
Both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea are treatable and, provided the condition is diagnosed at an early stage, treatment is often quite easy. For example, minor cases of obstructive sleep apnea arising out of nasal congestion can generally be treated with little more than decongestants. In the same way, a lot of cases of sleep apnea that are not especially severe can be treated with a mask that is worn while sleeping and that delivers air at a constant pressure in order to keep the airway open. Lastly, in the most severe cases surgery may be required and can be extremely effective, though it may also result in a number of complications and has to be considered with caution.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember when treating sleep apnea is that because it carries the potentially fatal risk of respiratory failure sufferers ought not to be tempted to use sleeping pills or to take other types of sleep enhancers without first seeking the approval of their doctor.
Natural sleep remedies unquestionably provide an effective complement to medically prescribed medicines and herbal remedies which are intended to improve the quality and duration of sleep may well be helpful in the management of the excessive daytime sleepiness generally accompanying sleep apnea. Likewise, things like aromatherapy, chromatherapy and meditation and guided relaxation can help in reducing the insomnia and anxiety that go along with sleep apnea.
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