There are close to 40 million people that suffer from sleep apnea but have never been diagnosed. Sleep apnea can be a serious sleep disorder that affects your mood, health, and those around you. Those that have sleep apnea stop breathing for 10 to 30 seconds at a time while they are sleeping. For some people this can happen up to 400 times per night which means that you are never able to reach a deep sleep and not receiving enough sleep. There are basically two types of sleep apnea: obstructive apnea and central apnea. The most common form is obstructive apnea which affects 9 out of 10 people with sleep apnea. This is seen more frequently in those that are obese as their is an obstruction in the air way such as fatty tissue.
Sleep apnea is typically identified by your loved one if you snore or they notice sudden movements while you sleep. There are certain questions that your Dr. will ask to determine if you suffer from sleep apnea and be able to make the proper recommendation. Sleep apnea can be dangerous of left untreated and can lead to a higher risk of stroke and heart disease. You may be prescribed a CPAP to help with your apnea. cpap or “continuous positive airway pressure,” is a special mask over your nose and mouth while you are sleeping. This mask will help keep your airway open by adding pressure to the air your breathe.
For those that are constantly and feel that they may have sleep apnea a sleep study done through a sleep disorder center may be recommended. A sleep study consists of a 7-8 hour recording of physical changes that occur while you sleep done at a sleep lab. They have sophisticated equipment that will monitor your breathing, brain activity, heart rate, oxygen levels, and leg movements.
