Trusted Health Products
Written By Kara Masterson / Reviewed By Ray Spotts
Sleeping problems affect your energy and can put you at risk of severe diseases. Sleep apnea is a pervasive sleep disorder. More than 18 million people in the United States have this disease, which causes them to stop breathing while they sleep. Here are some signs you may have sleep apnea and suggestions on what you can do about it.
Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Snoring is the most common symptom seen in those with obstructive sleep apnea. Your bed partner might also notice you stop breathing throughout the night, only to jerk awake seconds later. You may wake up with shortness of breath.
Other symptoms would include waking up with a dry, sore throat or having difficulty staying asleep at all. You may also feel tired during the day and find it difficult to concentrate on work or when driving. It is not uncommon for sleep apnea sufferers to feel the need to get up to urinate frequently during the night and feel irritable during the day.
The Dangers of Sleep Apnea
Your body wants to breathe more than anything else. As a result, it will go to extreme lengthens to make sure your airways stay open. This includes becoming restless during sleep, jerking or thrashing awake when you stop breathing, and feeling exhausted in the morning as a result.
Someone suffering from sleep apnea can wake up several times a night, only for a few seconds so they’re not even aware of it, meaning they never get any actual sleep through the night.
Sleep apnea is rarely fatal. However, it can increase the chances of a heart attack, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and other illnesses. If you have sleep apnea, it can worsen any diseases you currently have and make it harder for you to treat them.
Treating Sleep Apnea
Using CPAP machines is the gold standard for treating sleep apnea. These machines include a mask that sits over your nose and mouth with a tube that connects to the machine's motor and blows air into the tube. This increases pressure on your throat, so your airways don’t block themselves as you try to breathe in while you sleep.
Other ways that you can lessen the severity of your sleep apnea include sleeping on your side instead of your back and losing weight to decrease the obstructions in your neck when it relaxes during sleep.
It’s a good idea to stay away from things that can make you sleepy, such as alcohol or certain medications, as it increases the chances of you falling asleep in places that are nowhere near your machine.
Some other methods of treatment you could pursue include investing in a mouthpiece or dental appliance that can help keep your airways open. This is a nice option for light sleepers who might be easily woken by the minimal sounds a CPAP machine emits.
Take Sleep Apnea Seriously
Several sources for communication such as social media outlets, blog posts, and medical websites offer valuable information about sleep apnea. It is essential for a person dealing with sleep apnea to take their condition seriously to treat it before some of the more serious health conditions it can influence come into play.
Sleep apnea is more than just a mild inconvenience or a bad night’s sleep. It can have severe, long-term consequences on your life ranging from health conditions to general day-to-day wellness. Snoring by itself isn’t always an indicator of sleep apnea, but it can be one of the biggest indicators.
If you find yourself struggling to feel well-rested, waking frequently throughout the night, and having instances where it feels like you can’t breathe while trying to rest, it may be worth it to investigate the possibility of sleep apnea.
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Written By:
Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from Utah. She enjoys tennis and spending time with her family.
Reviewed By:
Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.
