Sleep Apnea

What Health Problems Can Sleep Apnea Cause?

What health problems can sleep apnea cause? Questions like these are asked by sleep study specialist. Doctors that focus on the disorders that interrupted sleep cause.

There are several thousand people around the globe that have sleeping disorders that wreak havoc on their bodies. Causing disease, stress, and other accidents that affect the people around them. You can be one of these people experiencing symptoms and promoting unforeseen health conditions indirectly and not even realize it.

In this article, you will learn what problems in your health sleep apnea will cause or worsen and what steps you can take to make sure you stop these disorders from getting worse or manifesting.

With this in mind, let’s begin with an overview of what sleep apnea is and then merge into how you can recognize the way you’re feeling, common symptoms sleep apnea causes, and how you can get the help you need.

 Do You Suffer from Sleep Apnea?

Getting the help, you need starts with knowing the answers to the questions you have. Ironically you may suffer from sleep apnea and pawn it off as just a poor night’s rest. The word apnea literally means without breath. As a result, sleep apnea is the loss of breathing as you sleep. Knowing this you can see how serious this condition is.

You can suffer from 1 of 3 kinds of apnea:

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea: This is when the muscles in your throat relax and your airway is obstructed (blocked) also called (OSA).
  • Central Sleep Apnea: This is a disconnect between your brain and your nervous system that signals you to breathe as you sleep (CSA).
  • Complex Sleep Apnea (Mixed): This form of sleep apnea is a combination of both OSA and CSA apnea disorders.

You can be suffering from one of these sleep disorders, you can stop breathing multiple times throughout the night. Consequently, the longer the apnea time lasts the more severe the case.

What about symptoms? How can you tell if sleep apnea is something you should worry about? In the next section, we briefly highlight some symptoms.

Do You Suffer from Sleep Apnea?

You might, and if you do this brief list will give you some evidence to move forward, in your research to get help. The symptoms can overlap between Central Sleep Apnea and Obstructive Sleep apnea. Keep in mind OSA is the most common predominately found in men.

Sleep Apnea Signs and Symptoms

  1. Difficulty staying focused or paying attention throughout the day.
  2. Waking up in the middle of the night, or from a nap gasping for air.
  3. Difficult time staying asleep or have insomnia.
  4. Morning headaches are often a reason of sleep apnea.
  5. Snoring excessively loud, interrupting partners or spouses from their rest.
  6. You are very irritable after you wake up.
  7. You have an extremely dry mouth when you wake up.
  8. Day time sleepiness is increased.

In this list we have given you a few of the most common symptoms, experiencing these symptoms is a sign you should see a sleep study specialist. The sleep study test At Sleep Better Marysville can gauge what your body is doing and select the best steps to take moving forward.

After all, the prevention of disease is just as important as maintenance.

Leading us into what sleep apnea can cause. The risk factors because of sleep apnea are high and a price you don’t want to pay. Let’s find out exactly what’s involved if sleep apnea goes untreated.

What Health Concerns Does Sleep Apnea Cause or Worsen?

Sleep apnea left untreated can affect anyone suffering from it. You are not exempt, if you have this chronic disorder and you ignore it, your health will deteriorate because of it. Being excessively overweight, a thick neck circumference, or an abnormally smaller airway are just a few risk factors associated with OSA.

Heart problems and high blood pressure – When you stop breathing your body is no longer receiving oxygen, this decrease in blood oxygen levels adds stress on your heart and causes it to increase your blood pressure OSA increases your chances of hypertension.

Liver problems – If you suffer from sleep apnea you can increase scarring on your liver.

A decrease in brain functions – Oxygen is essential for the brain, in an emergency a brain that is deprived of oxygen (Anoxia)  for 60 seconds or more experiences brain damage. And will never be the same again. Adding that up over hundreds of nights of sleep with apnea paints a horrific picture.  Loss of memory and other cognitive skills will suffer because of sleep apnea.

Type 2 Diabetes – Your risk for developing type 2 diabetes becomes higher, it’s been shown that sleep apnea reduces insulin resistance.

Cardiovascular Disease – Sleep apnea increases your risk or worsens cardiovascular disease. The fact is without oxygen in a constant flow, tissues of the body die. And the brain decides to only pump blood to the vital organs eliminating supply to those areas of the body that are less vital for sustaining life.

As you can see if you suffer from sleep disorders it doesn’t just give you a headache, it can and will affect your health over a lifetime.

In Conclusion

Fail to pay attention to how you feel and your sleeping patterns can severely impede your health, destroy a relationship and cause you to injure others because of lack of sleep if you’re operating a car or machinery at work. In this article you learned what sleep apnea is, and that there are three primary sleep disorders.

Secondly, you can see getting help is available to you through Sleep Better Marysville. Dr. Levy and the compassionate staff have been helping sufferers of sleep apnea and snoring for years with innovative and helpful technology.

This makes it easy for you to improve quickly. And even get a sleep study done in the comfort of your own home. Give them a call at (614) 362-7292 and let them invite you into a one on one relationship that caters to your needs. What can sleep apnea cause is a frightening question?  But you don’t have to find the answers alone.

How Do I Know I Have Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a chronic sleeping disorder where breathing is consistently interrupted. This occurs due to human anatomy problems or because of central nervous system disconnections involving your respiratory system. But how do you know if you have sleep apnea?

This is what this article is going to uncover. There are millions of people living in the U.S that have sleep apnea and you can be one of them. Learning how to pinpoint what symptoms you may be suffering from will give you the awareness to get the help you may so desperately need to prevent further medical deterioration.

Let’s start with what many fall victim too and that is the symptoms.

The Symptoms of Sleep Apnea and How They Are Ignored

We are all busy, and we also tend to make things no big deal. Well, sleep apnea is a very big deal. To be fair, most people have no idea what sleep apnea is. And if you don’t know what it is then how do you know you have it?

The dilemma that plagues over 22 million Americans living with OSA (Obstructive sleep apnea). This can be scary to think about right? Another interesting fact is out of this large group of people around 80% are undiagnosed. Meaning with the knowledge and awareness of this chronic disorder is going to drastically improve your quality of life once properly treated if, in fact, you do have OSA.

Before we list the most common symptoms you need to know that if you have sleep apnea it can be any of the three types. Earlier we discussed obstructive sleep apnea. This is the most common. There is the second type of central sleep apnea (CSA) this affects your sleep health severely.

Central sleep apnea means your nervous system and respiratory system fail to communicate when you are asleep. Or communicates poorly, is the sense you breath shallow, or hold your breath ever second or third breath.

The last type is complex sleep apnea that mixes both OSA and CSA. This is the most severe because your upper airway and nervous system are compromised. Consequently causing your health to plummet in more than one way.

Symptoms

Hypersomnia – Excessive daytime drowsiness, if you constantly find yourself tired or always yawning it means your brain is not receiving enough oxygen because of shallow breathing. Which extends to when you sleep.

Headaches first thing in the morning – You should wake up refreshed and ready for the day with energy. If you have a morning headache it means you did not sleep well. Happening consistently is a clear sign of sleep apnea.

Insomnia – When you have difficulty staying asleep you have a sleeping disorder. Not getting a healthy amount of sleep causes stress on the heart, and brain to perform without energy and the proper recovery time you need daily. If you can’t sleep you need to be tested for sleep apnea.

Snoring Loudly – If you snore, this means there is blockage of your airway because of a change in your anatomy of the airway. This is a very common symptom for OSA.

Waking up feeling confused – Waking up confused in the middle of the night is also a symptom of OSA. You also have a tendency to wake up gasping for air because of holding your breath while sleeping.

Not Breathing During Sleep – This is observed by someone else as you sleep. They may notice your chest is not rising consistently.

Difficulty focusing while awake – Being able to focus clearly on a task is necessary for safety if you working with machinery, or if your driving. If you have trouble focusing you need to consult your physician.

How You are Diagnosed With Sleep Apnea

So we talked about the most common symptoms of sleep apnea. What next? If you feel you have any of these symptoms what should you do? If you want to get the help you first need to set up an appointment with your primary care physician. Go see them, tell them about your concerns about not sleeping, and most likely you will receive a referral to a sleep doctor.

These are doctors that specialize in sleep medicine and sleeping disorders. Depending on your medical insurance you may not need a referral, but it’s always good to get a full check-up to make sure there are no other underlying issues.

Once you are in front of a sleep study doctor they will ask you a series of questions. Once the criteria are met for a sleep study, you will be given an appointment. And specific instructions on when to arrive for your sleep study.

The sleep study is a test that monitors your chest wall moment as you sleep, along with how much air is released from your nose and mouth during slumber. Your brain waves are also measured to check for neurological disconnect while sleeping. Consider doing research on sleep studies before you arrive for your appointment so you are not overly nervous.

Sleep study technician make you feel comfortable and explain everything during the setup. You will have electrodes attached to your head, arms, chest, and legs. Which helps to monitor heart rate as well.

The Results

When your sleep study is completed you will set an appointment for about 1-2 weeks away. This will give your sleep doctor the time to evaluate your sleep test, checking for symptoms of hypopneas (holding your breath) and shallow breathing. Also, your sleep doctor will study your brain waves and heart rate throughout the night.

Once your test has been completely reviewed, you will get your results and at that time find out if you have sleep apnea. Moreover, you will learn the type, whether it’s obstructive, central, or mixed. The doctor will also inform you if it’s mild, moderate, or severe in nature.

Sleep apnea poses several health risks and the consequences of not treating it can be severe. Hypertension, heart failure, and cardiovascular disease are just a few chronic conditions that can be provoked because of sleep apnea.

In Conclusion

As you learned above, if you have sleep apnea it’s very important to be properly treated. This avoids further stress and problems with your health that OSA can cause. Dr. Levy and the staff of Sleep Better Marysville will guide you every step of the way.

OSA is extremely easy to treat. There is no need to be afraid. What you don’t want is to let this chronic condition linger.

And with state of the art equipment and Oral Appliances; you have access to the experience Better Sleep Columbus provides their patients. This eliminates promoting further deterioration of your health and gives you several options to remain comfortable during your sleep apnea treatment.

Better Sleep Columbus welcomes your call. Reach out today at (614) 362-7292.

What Does Sleep Apnea Cause

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder viewed by many as something minor and not much to worry about. But when you look beneath the surface and ask what does sleep apnea cause, astonishing details are revealed. As a result, in the past few years, this myth has been busted. And sleep apnea has become a widely popular topic. Why? Because of what life-threatening diseases it can cause or worsen.

However, there is so much more work to be done in spreading the word. In this article, we are going to go over some of the disorders that can manifest because of sleep apnea and how ignoring the signs and symptoms can cause more harm. You will learn how to recognize these symptoms and what you can do to get treated.

Sound good? Great… Let’s get started.

Sleep Apnea and Common Disorders It Can Cause

There are over 800 sleep disorders, but sleep apnea is the one more common in the United States. And has become a significant reason for health issues. It’s been confirmed that over 22 million Americans grapple with sleep apnea every night.

About 1 out of every 12 Americans suffer and are inadvertently encouraging future healthcare complications because of sleep apnea when it’s left undiagnosed and treated. And sadly, undiagnosed sleep apnea is the truth for 80% of cases.

So how do you avoid falling victim to perpetual healthcare decline from sleep apnea? You do so, by becoming aware and following the steps to get diagnosed and then treated by a sleep study doctor such Dr. Levy of Sleep Better Marysville. After all, if you suffer from sleep apnea you want someone who can improve your quality of life quickly and make things comfortable for you.

Common Disorders Sleep Apnea Promotes

Asking what does sleep apnea cause, but the greatest minds in sleep medicine to work. It’s only when the right questions are asked that the solution of the best treatment for a problem gets solved. Here is a list of the most common diseases affiliated with sleep apnea.

  • High Blood Pressure (hypertension)
  • Chronic Heart Failure (CHF)
  • Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
  • Stroke (loss of blood flow to the brain)
  • Depression
  • Type-2 Diabetes
  • Liver Problems
  • Excessive Day Time Fatigue

As you can see, the list above is filled with serious life-threatening conditions and can cause life long consequences if discovered too late.

For example, how much would your life change if you fell asleep at the wheel? Or you drifted off to sleep as you were cooking something on the stove? These mistakes happen every single day because of sleep apnea. If you experienced either one these, how would your life be different?

Worsening Disorders

When you are already suffering from a disease or disorder like chronic heart failure obstructive sleep apnea will make it significantly worse. See when you fail to breathe as you sleep, you cause your co2 (aka) carbon monoxide to build up in your blood. As you breathe regularly moving oxygen and co2 in and out of your body you naturally retain some co2. But people who have sleep apnea have less oxygen in their blood and higher co2 levels.

This creates your blood to become thicker and also stunt the receptors in your body that tell your brain to breathe when sleeping. This causes more stress on the heart to work harder and harder, attempting to bring back homeostasis. Unfortunately without treatment of your sleep apnea, you remain in a vicious cycle of deterioration.

The only way to fix it is with help from a sleep doctor who can properly treat your individual case with the right positive pressure treatment or oral appliance treatment. It all depends on your type of sleep apnea.

This is only one case study of a worsening disorder. There are several outcomes base on the disease that sleep apnea can worsen.

Common Risk Factors To Sleep Apnea

Gender – Middle-aged and older men are more likely to acquire sleep apnea. Sleeping disorder breathing affects almost 50% of men and only 24% of women.

Note: Smoking drastically increases the risk of sleep apnea regardless of gender.

Obesity – There is a relationship between sleep apnea and obesity in around 60% of the cases that are diagnosed. Having a thicker neck because of larger fat deposits will instantly cause an increased risk of obstructing your airway.

Narrow airway – Conversely, being born with or having been in an accident that decreases your airway circumference, will also increase your risk for OSA.

Substance abuse – Using any sedatives or narcotics that impair the nervous system will increase your chances of sleep apnea, more so for CSA (Central Sleep Apnea). You must be careful when taking medications prescribed and know how your body will react.

Stroke – As we mentioned earlier, sleep apnea can cause a stroke. However, if you have already suffered from a stroke you are at a higher risk of acquiring this chronic disorder.

Having a family history – At times you will be predisposed to sleep apnea because it runs in your family. This doesn’t mean you’re destined for sleep apnea, it only means you must be vigilant in your awareness of how you are feeling. And paying attention to the symptoms of sleep apnea presents.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Knowing what sleep apnea causes is part of the puzzle when piecing together the treatment and management of sleep apnea. Knowing how to pay attention to how you feel is also important. Here are some of the most common symptoms you can look out for – in your behavior or those close to you.

  1. Snoring loudly
  2. Chronic morning headaches
  3. Waking up in the middle of the night gasping for air
  4. Holding your breath in your sleep (observed by someone else)
  5. Lack of focus while awake
  6. Irritable
  7. Insomnia (or waking up multiple times throughout the night)
  8. When you wake up you have extremely dry mouth
  9. Exhaustion throughout the day

These are some common symptoms of sleep apnea. And ones to pay attention too for signs you may need to see a sleep study specialist like Dr. Levy from Sleep Better Marysville.

In Conclusion

By now we don’t have to convince you that your sleep health is a necessity for a safe and happy life. Dr. Levy has treated hundreds of patients suffering from sleep apnea. He uses sleep study methods that help diagnose your sleep apnea is a comfortable way. Then afterward sit’s down with you and discuss your best options on treatment.

You may need an affordable state of the art CPAP device, or you may decide to use an oral appliance. You see, with the oral appliance you are fitted for a mouthpiece that can make sleep apnea treatment a breeze. Let our professional team help you with your diagnosis and treatment to ensure you live a long and healthy life.

It’s no longer hard to be diagnosed and treated. You’re not alone. Take the knowledge and the awareness of sleep apnea and make sure you avoid the mistakes so many others fail to avoid. Dr. Levy and staff at Sleep Better Marysville welcome you to call us at (614) 362-7292. The answer to the question – what does sleep apnea cause? Has been answered. The only thing left for you to do is trust us to help.

How Common is Sleep Apnea?

Having trouble sleeping? You may ask yourself what is wrong. Why is it that I can’t sleep through the night? If you find yourself feeling even more tired after you wake up from your rest you might be suffering from a chronic disorder call sleep apnea. How common is sleep apnea anyway?

Sleep apnea is so common most people have it and don’t even realize it. This is very dangerous because untreated sleep disorders can lead to an infinite amount of other health concerns. Some we will go over a bit later. In this article, our goal is to explain the necessities you need to know about sleep apnea. How you can recognize symptoms in yourself and others. And find the help you need in order to receive testing and treatment.

Let’s get started.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

A big mistake you can make is ignoring that you are tired throughout the day or that you snore. Sleep apnea is a chronic medical condition that prevents you from breathing during sleep. It can be caused by a blockage in the airway because of relaxed muscles in the throat. Also, a more severe case is when breathing is prevented because of a lack of communication from the brain and the central nervous system to your respiratory system to breathe.

There is one more kind of sleep apnea out of the 3 types and that that is mixed sleep apnea. This is when you suffer from a combination of Central Sleep Apnea and Obstructive sleep apnea. Mixed Sleep Apnea is the most severe of the types. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common. And unfortunately the condition you may suffer from.

The Commonality of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is made up of 3 types. That includes OSA (Obstructive sleep apnea), CSA (Central sleep apnea), and Mixed (Also known as Complex sleep apnea syndrome). So how common is sleep apnea?

In the U.S between 50 million and 70 million people have some kind of sleeping disorder. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common. To be more specific between 3 and 7% of men have OSA while it’s a bit lower for women coming in between 2-5%. Sadly however this number for women is rising. As OSA is more common in middle-aged to older men, women are beginning to be recognized as suffering from this disorder.

To put this into perspective even further, there are 326 million people living in the United States. Out of that number, one out of every twelve suffers from OSA. That is 22 million people. And only a small percentage actually gets treatment, leaving the rest to harbor disease because of worsening sleep apnea symptoms without treatment (75 – 85% go undiagnosed).

More Statistics

Out of the U.S population, 10% have mild obstructive sleep apnea, around 3 ½ % have moderate sleep apnea, and around 4% suffers from severe OSA, also know as hypopnea which is the medical term for excessive shallow breathing, and lower than normal rate of breathing over a one minute period. Essentially you are failing to bring in enough oxygen while you rest causing abnormalities in your health.

Which brings us to the next area of discussion. How can you tell if you may be suffering from sleep apnea? There are symptoms that are most prevalent when involving sleep apnea.

Most Common Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Obstructive and Central sleep apnea have symptoms that are red flags that you need further testing in the form of a sleep study. These symptoms can be present both for OSA or CSA but your doctor will refer you for a sleep study either way.

  • Excessive day time drowsiness
  • Morning headaches after waking up
  • Waking up with large gasp for air
  • Insomnia (you don’t sleep for long, maybe a few hours a night)
  • Loud snoring (waking those in close proximity because of the noise)
  • Poor attention span and lack of focus
  • Uncomfortable dry mouth when you wake up

As you can see these are easy to spot and to notice in yourself. Now that you are aware of these common symptoms you can begin paying close attention to how you feel. These are but a small amount of symptoms so if you notice things like irritability and always needing that extra cup of coffee you might be suffering from sleep apnea. You should be able to make it through the day energetic and focused.

Some Common Risk Factors of Sleep Apnea

  • Family history
  • Being a male
  • Middle to older aged
  • Obesity
  • Nasal blockages or airway abnormalities
  • Smoking
  • Neurological disorders
  • Drug use (some narcotics will suppress the nervous system)

There are other risk factors but these are present in the common area of sleep apnea risk factors.

Treatment Options

When you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, you can there are a few ways to receive treatment. If you have central sleep apnea there are limitations to your options, since you will need a device to keep your airway open because of a neurological disconnection. But with OSA you can use a CPAP or an oral appliance offered by the office of Sleep Better Marysville.

This oral appliance is similar to a mouthpiece, that pulls your jaw forward. This eliminates the obstruction as you sleep creating a safe breathing canal that supports a normal exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

In Conclusion

As you can see, sleep apnea is very common. After all, with over 80% of Americans not being diagnosed it’s more common than ever. Failing to get treatment will lead to health problems like stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and more. Being referred to a sleep study doctor such as Dr. Levy from the office of Better Sleep Columbus can improve your quality of life drastically.

The one on one attention and sleep study technology will easily help diagnose your kind of sleep apnea and then you will be given the best way to treat it.

Not knowing is the worst part. But this article answered the question, how common is sleep apnea? You not only learned how common, but also how dangerous this disorder is, how to recognize its most common symptoms and where you can go for help. If you feel you are suffering from sleep apnea and want to make sure call the office of Sleep better Columbus at (614) 362-7292.

How Can I Prevent Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder in which a person stops and starts breathing several times an hour during sleep. These pauses in breathing might only last a few seconds but can last as much as several minutes. Sleep apnea makes getting a good night’s rest impossible and if left untreated can result in some very serious health issues. It is a condition that affects roughly 1 in 5 adults, so chances are that you or a loved one suffers from sleep apnea. With it being such a common condition you might be wondering: How can I prevent sleep apnea?

Risk Factors

Sleep apnea is not just a condition for overweight men who snore. It’s true that those factors do increase your risks, but sleep apnea is far less picky than that. In fact, this stereotype is perhaps one of the most prevalent misconceptions about sleep apnea. The following factors increase your risk of developing sleep apnea:

  • Genetics
  • Family
  • Lifestyle
  • Health
  • Weight

Genetics

Your genes play a big role in how likely you or a loved one are to develop sleep apnea. They decide everything about you from physical traits like your hair and eye color down to how you perceive certain tastes and smells. But how do they affect your risk factors for sleep apnea?

Most people who suffer from this type of sleep-disordered breathing have what doctors call Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA. With OSA breathing stops and starts because the airway has become partially or completely blocked. This blockage might occur at any point in the airway such as the sinuses, mouth, or back of the throat. Certain genetic conditions or birth defects can cause the airway to be unusually narrow. A smaller airway means it takes less for your airway to become blocked. So other factors like nasal swelling or soft palate collapse will have a greater affect on your breathing.

Family

While many family related risk factors technically fall under the category of genetics, family factors extend beyond just your genes. Many risk factors for sleep apnea are heavily influenced by family culture. Family culture refers to the traditions, habits, and values you have as a family. Whether genetically predisposed or not, family culture affects your risk of many conditions that lead to sleep apnea. How active is your family? Do your traditions revolve around food? What is your family diet like? How does your family culture affect your sleep hygiene? Your answers to these questions may help you identify certain risk factors. If you or a loved one has sleep apnea, chances are family culture played a part.

Lifestyle

Many lifestyle choices can increase your risk of sleep apnea in ways you might not have considered. For example, the use of alcohol, tranquilizers, or sleep aids cause the body to relax more than usual. Where this becomes problematic is when the muscles of the throat and neck relax too much. Smoking and drug use also increase your risks. Smoking causes swelling in the airway and triples your risk of sleep apnea. Opiates, especially long-acting ones like methadone, also increase your risk. 

Health

Having certain health issues can increase your risk of developing sleep apnea. Uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke can increase your risks. These health issues are also known complications from having untreated sleep apnea. Even something as seemingly benign as seasonal allergies can increase your risk.

Weight

Weight is a well known risk factor, but did you know you don’t have to be obese to develop obstructive sleep apnea? Studies show that a body mass index (BMI) of 25 is enough to cause difficulty breathing. The average BMI of a healthy adult should fall somewhere between 18.5 and 24.9. The greater your BMI, the greater your risk.

How To Prevent Sleep Apnea

The great news is that for most people sleep apnea is highly preventable. There are a lot of things you can do to address your risk factors. By addressing these you can prevent sleep apnea in you and your loved ones.

Surgery

While you have no control over your genetic risk factors, you can take steps to counteract them. Though rare, reducing some genetic risk factors may require surgery. Surgery may be indicated if you have:

  • Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
  • Deviated septum
  • Enlarged turbinates
  • Nasal valve collapse
  • Underdeveloped or deformed lower jaw

It is important to note that surgical correction is rare. However, if you have one of these conditions, your doctor may recommend you for surgery.

Family Culture Shift

To prevent sleep apnea it is important to address any problematic aspects of your family culture. You can reduce your risks by working together as a family to eat healthier and be more active. You might also try establishing a consistent bedtime and bedtime routine. Studies show that irregular sleep patterns nearly double your risk of heart disease. Heart disease is a known complication and contributing factor in sleep apnea.

Lifestyle Changes

Making healthier lifestyle choices will also help you prevent sleep apnea. Smoking is an unhealthy habit to begin with. Your doctor may already be urging you to quit. There are many smoking cessation programs out there that can help. Reducing or eliminating alcohol, especially before bed, will also help to reduce your risks. You’ll also want to pay attention to your own personal sleep habits. As mentioned above your sleep schedule matters, but so do things like sleep environment and position. Making sure your room is a comfortable temperature and humidity will help. And avoid sleeping on your back. Episodes of OSA are much more common when sleeping on your back.

Follow Your Doctor’s Orders

Certain health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease all contribute to or worse sleep apnea. Reducing your risk factors for these conditions will also help you prevent sleep apnea. If you already have one of these conditions it is important to follow your doctor’s advice to keep them well controlled.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight will help you prevent sleep apnea. Pay special attention to your BMI as well and try to keep it below 25.

Seek Medical Advice

Sleep apnea is very common, and yet a surprising 80% of cases go undiagnosed. Of the 20% who do get diagnosed it usually only comes after a major health event or the insistence of their partner. Even just the short term effects of sleep apnea can have disastrous consequences. People suffering from mild to moderate sleep apnea are twice as likely to be involved in a traffic accident. Left untreated it leads to many serious and life shortening health problems. If you or a loved one have concerns about developing sleep apnea please seek medical advice. Your doctor or a sleep apnea specialist, like those at Sleep Better Marysville, can help you identify and reduce your risks.

Want to prevent sleep apnea? Call Sleep Better Marysville at (614) 362-7292 for more information!

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