Sleep apnea is a condition in which an individual stops breathing for brief moments while sleeping. The condition can cause breathing to stop for about ten seconds or more. It happens throughout the night, numerous times each night. It can be physically and mentally draining to individuals that suffer from it. And, for those that do not take it seriously enough, sleep apnea can worsen and become life threatening.

What makes it so hard to deal with is the fact that individuals will wake up partially when they can not breathe. Although individuals do not realize that they are waking up, their body triggers the mind to wake up and deal with the problem. They only wake up enough to readjust. Most individuals that suffer from sleep apnea will have no idea that they are doing so until someone who notices them struggling during the night.

Types Of Sleep Apnea

There are several types of sleep apnea.

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea is caused by a relaxation of the soft tissues that are located at the back of your throat. By relaxing, they can block the air passage. This is the most common individual type.

• Central sleep apnea is another condition in which there are irregularities in the brains signal to breathe.

• A combination of both conditions is a likely option as well.

How Do You Know You Have It?

If you dont know that you are doing this at night, how do you know that you have anything wrong with you anyway? There are many symptoms of the condition that are good signs that you have a sleeping disorder that may be that of sleep apnea.

• Being tired throughout the day although you slept for most of the night. This is a common symptom as individuals that do suffer from the condition can not sleep soundly.

• Restless sleep which includes tossing and turning.

• Snoring. Individuals with sleep apnea will snore and it will likely be loud. It may be evident because of the small pause that follows the snoring and then there are gasps for air. Gasps may not be large, and they can seem like the individual is waking up slightly.

• Morning headaches, trouble concentrating, irritability, forgetfulness and problems with mood and behavior changes are signs of a lack of sleep.

• Depression and anxiety can also be evident.

• Another large factor in individuals that are sufferers of sleep apnea is that many are overweight.

Diagnosis: Sleep Apnea

In order for any doctor to diagnose you with sleep apnea, you will likely need to have a sleep study done. Here, you will spend the night in a hospital or other location being monitored as you sleep. Your sleep patterns will be recorded and analyzed. In some areas, you will be able to take the test home by using a recorded sleeping device. The test is called a polysomnography.

You may also be given a blood oxygen level while you are sleeping. This test is done by placing a small device on the finger and monitoring your condition while you sleep.

Treatments For Sleep Apnea

There are many ways in which sleep apnea can be treated. The treatment used will be determined by the severity of the condition, the patients health and the abilities of the individual.

• Avoidance of sedatives and muscle relaxants is necessary.

• Avoid alcohol and medications that will relax the muscles.

• Lose weight (most patients who face sleep apnea are overweight)

• Stop smoking.

• A breathing machine can be placed over the face and will force oxygen into the airways to keep them open while you sleep. This is known as a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP).

• Finally, surgery can be preformed to remove tissue from the area of the throat that is blocking the flow of air.

For those individuals that do not seek help for their condition, there can be a wide range of problems that can happen. The condition can worsen and can lead to more serious diseases including heart failure, coronary heart disease, irregular heartbeats, and even heart attacks and increased blood pressure. Treatment for sleep apnea is necessary in order to prevent these problems from happening to you. If your spouse is a heavy sleeper and suffers from any of these conditions, consider having him or her tested for sleep apnea.