Sleep Apnea – What it is, Symptoms and Treatments!

Sleep Apnea – What it is, Symptoms and Natural Treatments. In addition, Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which a person stops breathing, for a few seconds, several times during the night. People with obstructive sleep apnea may not even be aware that they have the problem.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, about 50% of the Brazilian population complains of poor sleep quality and about 30% of the adult population suffers from Sleep Apnea . Sleep Apnea is characterized by noises and interruptions in breathing that are repeated at least five times in a period of 60 minutes.

It’s not just snoring. In apnea, the nocturnal noise is interrupted by gagging — and the hard part is that often the individual does not even notice them while sleeping. These small pauses in the intake of air actually decrease the concentration of oxygen in the blood .

Types: There are two types of Sleep Apnea :

Obstructive Sleep Apnea:  This is the most common form, and occurs when the throat muscles relax during sleep and the airways close, which interferes and prevents proper breathing. This can drastically reduce the level of oxygen in the blood . Thus, the brain receives the message that something is wrong.

Because you are unable to breathe, you wake up from sleep for a brief moment – ​​in which the airways reopen and allow breathing to return to normal. This problem, however, recurs numerous times throughout the night and can cause serious complications.

During obstructive sleep apnea, a person may produce a snoring or choking sound. Irregular sleep prevents a person from achieving deep sleep, making them feel sleepy during the day.

Central Sleep Apnea : Central sleep  apnea is much less common and occurs when the brain is unable to transmit signals to the breathing muscles. A person who suffers from this type of apnea may wake up with shortness of breath or find it difficult to sleep or even to stay asleep. As with obstructive sleep apnea, here the person can also experience drowsiness during the day.

Causes of Sleep Apnea: Sleep apnea  is caused by two factors:

Obstructive Sleep Apnea: For this type of Sleep Apnea , the main cause is obstruction of the respiratory channel . Situations such as obesity, enlarged tonsils, neck circumference and craniofacial changes can lead to sleep apnea.

Central sleep apnea  :  The most common cause of central sleep apnea is heart failure and, more rarely, a stroke, traumatic brain injury, use of opioids (pain medication).

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea:  Signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apneas include:

• Hypersomnia (excessive daytime sleepiness)
• loud snoring
• Abruptly waking up during the night with shortness of breath
• Waking up with a dry mouth
• Morning headache (headache)
• Insomnia
• attention deficit
• Present irritation, nervousness and impatience during the day, resulting from a bad night’s sleep
• have forgetfulness.

Sleep Apnea Treatment:  The main goal of Sleep Apnea treatment is to keep the airways open so that breathing is not interrupted during sleep. In mild cases, some patients may wear braces in their mouths overnight to keep the jaw positioned further forward and prevent airway blockage.

In moderate to severe cases, a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask is required. This device blows air into the airway, keeping it open. Surgery may be an option in some cases. This may involve:

• Nose or bone cavity surgeries
• Surgery to remove tonsils and adenoids can cure the condition in children, but it is not always effective in adults.

Currently, inhalation with CPAP is considered a standard and effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in most people. And best of all, it can be done at home. CPAP is delivered by a machine with a face mask attached.

Preventing Sleep Apnea:  Anyone can develop Sleep Apnea , and there is often no way to prevent it. In other cases, however, some measures can be taken, such as:

• lose excess weight
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
• stop smoking
• Use medication only with medical advice.