Have you heard of the condition called sleep apnea?  Has your doctor told you that you have this condition?  If that is the case, you need treatment right away because it is dangerous and can be deadly.

The term “apnea” refers to a cessation of breathing.  Swimmers practice static apnea, meaning holding their breath for longer periods of time.  So sleap apnea then refers to the body stopping its own breathing during sleep.  Usually this is just for a few moments; the body has many safeguards in place to protect it from such problems.  As someone with sleep apnea stops breathing while sleeping, their body will react to restart breathing again.  But usually this involves actually waking up if even for a few seconds so breathing can be started.  The sufferer may not even realize that he or she is waking up during the night and so when they get up the next day and are still very tired, they don’t understand why that is.  In reality those who have extreme cases of sleap apnea may wake up several times during the night which means they never get the quality, deep sleep that they need and that’s important for their overall health.  So they go through their day feeling fatigued and rundown and not realizing why. This lack of quality sleep is related to many health problems, including daytime drowsiness, headaches, mood swings and irritability, and a buildup of toxins in the blood.  Because the body actually stops breathing, even momentarily, sleep apnea can also cause brain damage because the brain is not supposed to go without oxygen for any length of time, even those few moment.~Sleep apnea can also cause brain damage because the brain is not supposed to go without oxygen for any length of time, even those few moment,because the body actually stops breathing, even momentarily.  Sometimes patients cannot wake up to start breathing again, and they die.

sleap apnea should not be dismissed as a minor irritation as the reality is that it can have quite serious consequences.  A doctor can perform a physical exam and give recommendations for treating your own case of sleep apnea and in some cases a CPAP machine might be recommended to keep oxygen coming into the body on a regular basis.  And of course if you’re suffering from this condition because of obesity, it’s time to face this problem and do what you must to lose weight.

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Anyone that suspects they have the condition should familiarize themselves with the symptoms of sleep apnea. This condition is not something that is just annoying but is dangerous and can also be downright deadly. Some have unfortunately died from the cessation of breathing during the night, so of course realizing if you have this condition and getting it treated properly is vitally important. So let’s look at some common symptoms of sleep apnea and remember, you might not be able to recognize these symptoms in yourself but may need to ask your bedmate or another family member if they notice them when you sleep.

Your breathing and the sounds you make during sleep are common symptoms of sleep apnea. When your body stops breathing temporarily during the night of course it works very hard to get itself breathing again and this might mean sounds like choking, gasping, snorting, or wheezing. Many people think that these sounds are just common or harmless snoring but these noises, especially when loud or severe, are common symptoms of sleep apnea. The body gasps when it starts breathing after being denied oxygen or someone wheezes when that oxygen gets cut off. These are not good sounds for anyone and should be taken very seriously.

Sleep apnea interferes with a person’s sleep whether they’re aware of it or not. The way you feel during the day can also be common symptoms of sleep apnea. You might think you’ve gotten a good night’s sleep but if you’re fatigued when you wake up, have headaches throughout the day, get daytime sleepiness, or just generally don’t feel rested all of these can be symptoms of sleep apnea. It’s important that a person get several hours of uninterrupted sleep in order to be really refreshed and recharged but sleep apnea of course interferes with consistent rest. Again, a person isn’t typically aware of the fact that he or she has sleep apnea and is waking up during the night so these daytime symptoms should be considered.

Any and all of these symptoms of sleep apnea should be taken seriously. A doctor can refer you to a sleep clinic, but most cases of sleep apnea are caused by excess body weight. If you’re several pounds overweight you might want to consider doing what you can to lose this weight and see if perhaps these symptoms of sleep apnea don’t clear up.

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