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Friday, January 13, 2012

Apnea: What You Need To Know About It.

By Carla Pearce


Apnea is a word used to describe a disorder that makes breathing difficult when a person is sleeping. Breathing stops every now and then meaning that the body and more so the brain do not get enough oxygen.

Since breathing is not constant, the supply of oxygen to the brain and the body in general is interrupted. These patients snore a lot which could affect their relationship with those sleeping with them.

Two types of apneas have been recognized and are described as central and obstructive. The latter is due to the airway being blocked by soft tissues from the throat; the former is due to the brain failing to properly recognize breathing signals at night.

What are the risk factors associated with this condition? Males are more likely to get it since their necks are more muscular; obesity as it increases mass around the neck; being above 40 years and a family history of the condition.

What are the effects of this disease if left untreated? Since the sleeping pattern of the person is disrupted, they are likely to develop depression and lack of concentration during the day.

Age: persons above the age of 40 are at a higher risk. Seeing that a high body mass index is associated with a huge neck, such people are predisposed. Family history is another risk factor.

Depending on how severe the condition is, various treatment options can be recommended. Positional therapy is the where the person is given full-length pillows to enhance sleeping on the side.

Severity of the disease determines the treatment options. Positional therapy is recommended in mild cases; the patient is given a pillow to aid them in sleeping sideways.

It has been observed that 70% of persons with apnea are overweight; hence to avoid this disease, a person above age forty has to loose weight.

Surgeries are done to remove any mass that may be blocking the airway. If poor brain signal is the cause, drugs are given. Cpap and Bipap are gadgets worn on the face to calm breathing. About 70 out of 100 cases of apnea are associated with excess weight; reduce your weight preferably through exercises to avoid the condition. Its first symptom is usually snoring.




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