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Whilst sleep apnea can be a very severe issue, it is highly treatable, and treatment depends on which kind of sleep apnea a person has. As you will soon learn, there may be many ways of overcoming sleep apnea.
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) is a brain signal disorder, in which the lungs don't receive the instructions to breath during REM sleep. Pauses in breath may last anywhere between a few seconds to a few minutes before breathing restarts. In this form of sleep apnea, medication and/or the use of a CPAP machine can help to reduce symptoms, and this may be as far as one can go in the treatment of Central Sleep Apnea.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is usually a far more treatable form of sleep apnea. It is a physical obstruction within the upper airways which occurs or worsens during REM sleep, causing a person to be unable to draw breath despite trying. After struggling for breath for a while, the brain takes action by suddenly snapping a person out of REM sleep into a lesser sleep state whereby the upper airways become clear and breathing is finally able to restart. There may be many things a person can do to overcome sleep apnea of this kind, such as sleeping on their side which tends to keep the airways from closing up so much. Losing weight can help immensely as the fatty tissues within the airways are reduced. Stopping smoking is another good way to reduce Obstructive Sleep Apnea, as smoking often causes the inflammation of the airways. Consuming alcohol before bedtime may seem beneficial for sleeping purposes due to its depressive and relaxing qualities but these qualities can work too well and cause the upper airways to relax too much, thus inhibiting breathing by causing obstruction.
Also there is apparatus such as the CPAP machine which can be used, or any number of devices which keep the tongue from becoming an obstruction and may move the jaw forward to keep the airways more open.
Mixed Sleep Apnea (MSA) is a mixture of Central Sleep Apnea and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Therefore, as both wayward brain signals and physical obstructions within the airways are to blame, any combination of CSA and OSA treatments may be required to alleviate symptoms. |
