Although the topic of snoring is frequently met with laughs. It is really no laughing matter, especially to the bedmate of the snorer. As a matter of fact, snoring can acutally be a sign of a much more serious health problem known as sleep apnea. All snoring of course, is not the same. Not all who snore suffer from sleep apnea. There are different types of snoring.
If youve tried lifestyle changes such as losing weight and quitting or reducing smoking and alcohol consumption in addition to changing your sleeping position ” all without results, then you may want to consult with a physician to rule out sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition in which you literally stop breathing several times throughout the night while sleeping. In some cases, the duration of an interruption is over a minute and the interruptions can occur as many as hundreds of times during any given night.
The condition can be fatal, so if you suspect that your snoring is more than a modest irritation, consult with your physician. If you suffer from sleep apnea, you should feel tired throughout the day because your sleep is far less productive.
Chances are that your physician will want to try the less invasive methods before resorting to surgical procedures that may or may not be necessary in order to properly treat your case of sleep apnea. The good news is that there are many treatments available that do not include surgery.
There are three different types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed. The first step your doctor is likely to take is to identify the specific apnea that plagues your sleep. You will hear the most about obstructive, since it’s the most common type.
Once your particular apnea is discovered, you and your physician will work out a treatment plan in order to correct or minimize your apnea. Common treatments for obstructive sleep apnea include behavioral changes such as diet and exercise, medications such as nasal sprays with steroids, thyroid replacement therapy medications, and weight loss medications, dental appliances and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines, which are devices that deliver constant air pressure through a facemask in order to keep the airways open.
When used alone or in conjunction with other treatment options, these devices and treatment options while not one size fits all, can be highly effective. For those with sleep apnea, physical fitness tends to be a big problem.
The cycle is incredibly difficult. The result of the apnea being a lack of energy that would be needed in order to burn off the required calories to achieve weigh loss. If you’re overweight and suffering from sleep apnea, consult with your doctor. She or he may be able to prescribe medication for weight loss that will assist with both. Doing nothing is the worst thing you can do for sleep apnea.