Should You be Concerned About Sleep Apnea?
Friday, July 31st, 2009Have you heard of the condition called sleep apnea? Has your doctor told you that you have this condition? If so you need to address it immediately as it is very dangerous and in extreme cases can even be deadly.
The term “apnea” refers to a cessation of breathing. Swimmers practice static apnea, meaning holding their breath for longer periods of time. So sleep apnea then refers to the body stopping its own breathing during sleep. Normally, this would last for only a few seconds, the body is able to protect itself from this type of problem with all of its safeguards. If a person with sleep apnea stops breathing during the night the body will typically trigger reactions to get it breathing again. But usually this involves actually waking up if even for a few seconds so breathing can be started.Sometimes a person suffering from sleep apnea may not even be aware that they are waking up at times so they may not understand why they are constantly feeling tired during the day. In reality those who have extreme cases of sleep apnea may wake up several times during the night which means they never get the quality, deep sleep that they need and that’s important for their overall health. So they go through their day feeling fatigued and rundown and not realizing why. This lack of quality sleep is related to many health problems, including daytime drowsiness, headaches, mood swings and irritability, and a buildup of toxins in the blood. Because the body actually stops breathing, even momentarily, sleep apnea can also cause brain damage because the brain is not supposed to go without oxygen for any length of time, even those few moment.~Sleep apnea can also cause brain damage because the brain is not supposed to go without oxygen for any length of time, even those few moment,because the body actually stops breathing, even momentarily. In some cases a patient has not been able to wake up in order to get themselves breathing again and this has resulted in death.
You may dismiss sleep apnea as a mere annoyance but in reality it’s a very serious condition and one that should be addressed as soon as possible. A doctor can perform a physical exam and give recommendations for treating your own case of sleep apnea and in some cases a CPAP machine might be recommended to keep oxygen coming into the body on a regular basis. And of course if you’re suffering from this condition because of obesity, it’s time to face this problem and do what you must to lose weight.


