When I was a child my father worked “swing shift” at a chemical plant in a nearby town. Some weeks he worked at night and slept during the day. He could be heard snoring all over the house. We thought it was funny then. Now I know it was a potential sign of a serious sleep disorder called sleep apnea.
Snoring is an indicator that your airway is not completely open. The sound of a snore is made when the air you breathe in has difficulty pushing past this obstructed area.
For many individuals who snore, the medical implications are not serious. But there is a group of 5 out of 100 people that snoring is a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea.
In addition to snoring, some other symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea are excessive daytime sleepiness, restless sleep, high blood pressure, being overweight and waking up gasping for breath. Even if you don’t have high blood pressure during the day, you could have it when you first wake up due to the lack of oxygen you get when you do not breathe properly. If you awaken with headaches, this is a good indicator that your blood pressure is high due to sleep apnea.
After being evaluated by a sleep specialist, if you are found to have sleep apnea, the best treatment for you is a sleep apnea machine, also known as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This is simply a device that sits on your bedside table and delivers air pressure to you via a mask over your nose and mouth.
This machine helps by opening your airway to make breathing easier. The use of the sleep apnea machine help stabilize your oxygen levels while you are sleeping. This lets you have a restful night sleep too.
Leaving sleep apnea untreated can have serious consequences. A sleep apnea machine is your best choice to maintain your health and overall well being.
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