Untreated sleep apnea can lead to Type 2 Diabetes; weight gain; absent-mindedness or memory problems and incidentally poses a real risk for drivers who are unaware that they are sufferers, as extreme exhaustion can result in falling asleep behind the wheel.

According to Dr Naresh Punjabi of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, even an average level of sleep apnea can increase a person’s risk of mortality, with the highest correlation with sleep apnea and cardio vascular disorders being among men between the ages of 40-70.

One of the main difficulties in the diagnosis of sleep apnea is that many physicians are unaware of the risks of sleep apnea and the impact they can have on general health: few doctors consider sleep apnea as a factor to diagnosis, despite findings that the condition dramatically affects patients and prompts cardio vascular problems and other serious diseases.

Most people who suffer from sleep apnea, and this represents 90 – 95% of sufferers, are unaware they have a sleeping disorder and in fact do not remember having sleeping difficulties during the night.  They are aware that they are over tired and unable to function normally through exhaustion, yet have no idea of the cause behind their fatigue or their nocturnal sleep dysfunction.

Tiredness, over time, can produce some alarming health problems and sleep apnea should be checked diagnosed early and treated as soon as possible.  Luckily, the treatment is straight forward and easily available through Aviisha Medical Wellness Institute, in the form of medical consultation with sleep specialists followed by CPAP therapy to regulate breathing and restore normal sleep function.

The CPAP system of therapy requires the sleeper to wear a mask throughout the night, which administers a regulated flow of air through the nasal passage.  The mask is comfortable and restores normality to a sleeping routine within a very short time.  The remedy, therefore, is simple, painless and inexpensive.

Home sleep tests are available via the Aviisha Medical Wellness Institute website; preferable to taking a sleep test in a laboratory which can be both inconvenient and costly.

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OSA can be the underlying cause behind traffic accidents as those who are suffering with the disorder become over tired through lack of restful night time sleep and susceptible to memory lapses, lack in concentration and general exhaustion over time.  Even more worrying, most sufferers of sleep apnea are not diagnosed as they have no idea they are affected by it.

Sleep apnea is not a subject many doctors are expert in and a test for sleep apnea in laboratories has traditionally been costly. As a result, the condition has managed to slip the net and up to 95% of sufferers remain unaware they have a problem, although recently there has been a sharper community awareness of the importance of sleep health.

The problem of sleep apnea is now being addressed by the availability of a home sleeping test, eliminating the costly inconvenience of attending a test in a sleep laboratory; a home sleep test costs a minimal amount compared with the expense of a laboratory test.

The home sleep test may be order directly via the aviisha.com website.  It is simple to use and information on sleep patterns are collated overnight before Aviisha staff assess the information to ascertain whether a diagnosis of sleep apnea is appropriate.  Aviisha is the only company to offer a patient consultation with a sleep physician as part of the assessment process at no extra charge.

For those who are diagnosed with sleep apnea, the most effective remedy for OSA is available through CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) therapy.  A CPAP mask delivers a regulated flow of air through the nasal passage, eliminating obstruction that can cause the airway to block.

CPAP therapy can improve the patient’s quality of life by promoting a healthy night time sleep and home assessment is comfortable, convenient and considerably less expensive than laboratory sleep tests.

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Three Types of Sleep Apnea

The three types of sleep apneas are central sleep apnea (CSA), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and mixed sleep apnea (a combination of the two).

During sleep, the brain instructs the muscles of breathing to take a breath. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain does not send the signal to the muscle to take a breath, and there is no muscular effort to take a breath. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the brain sends the signal to the muscles and the muscles make an effort to take a breath but are unsuccessful because the airway becomes obstructed and prevents the flow of air. The third type of sleep apnea, mixed sleep apnea, occurs when there is both central and obstructive sleep apnea.

CSA and its Causes

CSA occurs when the brain does not send the signal to the muscles of breathing. This type of apnea usually occurs in infants or adults with heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, or congenital diseases, but CSA can also be caused by some medications and high altitudes.

CSA, when occurring in premature infants, is defined as apnea lasting more than 20 seconds, usually with a change in heart rate, a reduction in blood oxygen, or hypotonia (a general relaxation of the body’s muscles). CSA is not the same thing as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

OSA

People with obstructive sleep apnea have an airway that is more narrow than normal, usually at the base of the tongue and palate. When lying flat, the palate is above the air passage. When the pharyngeal muscles relax, the palate can fall backwards obstructing the airway. Patients with OSA often do not report waking up during the night.

OSA can cause the following medical problems (just to name a few):

· High blood pressure

· Heart problems

· Weight gain

· Constant tiredness

· Diabetes

· Slow metabolism

· Memory/concentration problems

· Depression

· Anxiety

· Sore throat

· Dry mouth

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Though there are many different cures for sleep apnea, most people can find a huge amount of relief through the use of sleep apnea masks.  They are called C-PAP masks that stand for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure mask.  Do not misunderstand; it is not the mask itself that cures sleep apnea.  It is important to note that the mask is linked by a lightweight air hose to a machine which makes continuous air that the sleeper is so direly in need of.

How this works is that the machine blows gentle air into the nose or mouth of the person wearing the mask.  There is just enough air coming through that it keeps the patient’s throat from falling into a downward position that had previously hampered the facility of the patient to breathe.

People look at the masks and immediately assume that there is no way they will ever be able to sleep wearing such a thing.  Quite the opposite is true, as most people have said that they’ve never slept so well as they have since acquiring a C-PAP machine.

Sleep apnea masks come in a variety of types, headgear, sizes and designs.  Some are purely oral-air-delivery masks, some nasal-air-delivery masks and some a combination of both oral and nasal-air-delivery systems.

The goal of each mask is to obtain perfect fit, sure delivery of air, all while keeping the person comfortable enough to sleep.  Soft silicone gels and seals provide comfort. There are even masks that do not even require headgear. Or you may be introduced to nasal pillows that allow the air to come through solely your nose while using a mask.

The machines themselves sometimes come integrated with heated humidifiers, are easy to transport for travel, and have settings chosen by your doctor that are individualized to especially serve your needs.

New technology has been applied to the standard C-PAP machine. There is now have a BiPAP machine.  BiPAP is the abbreviation for Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure. It actually allows the constant air to be interrupted when the patient breathes out, and that is why it is referred to as Bi-level.  This means that you now no longer need to exhale against the constant air pressure.

Those who suffer from other breathing problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary  disease, COPD, find that the Bi-PAP is more than helpful to them. Also, patients who suffer from neuromuscular diseases find it is much easier to use a Bi-PAP than a C-PAP. Those decisions for Bi-PAPs as opposed to C-PAPs are, of course, also made by your doctor or sleep therapist for you.

If you suffer from congenital heart disease, you may find that having sleep apnea was the cause of it, or partially the cause.  You will perhaps discover that either a C-PAP or sleep apnea masks are just the answer you have sought for many years of restless sleep, night sweats, heart palpitations and feeling as if you do not receive the restful sleep you seek.

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The leading cause of death in the hospital is infection usually caused by staff, patients, and visitors not washing their hands. Respiratory supplies were changed every forty-eight hours to help prevent respiratory infections. When I got into home
health I recognized that patients were not changing their CPAP supplies. I discovered that a lot of patients did not know that most insurance companies would pay for these new supplies. They were very thankful; some of them had never received a new CPAP mask or supplies. Thus the Supply Program was born! My hope in this article is that you will find out how to recognize symptoms associated with Sleep Apnea, learn some new terms, and discover the proper treatment to help you
sleep better.

Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

Sleep Apnea can be best defined as someone who stops breathing while sleeping. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association this affects more than twelve  million Americans alone! There are three types of Sleep Apnea: Central,
Mixed, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The most common form of Sleep Apnea is OSA, which is caused by an obstruction or collapse of the airway. For example, the tongue, palate, orepiglottis can obstruct the airway. Central Sleep Apnea is
caused when the brain fails to tell the muscles to breathe. Mixed Sleep Apnea is a mixture of both Central and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Untreated Sleep Apnea can cause Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Headaches, Weight
Gain, and Motor Vehicle Accidents. Since most people are not familiar with the symptoms of Sleep Apnea it is most often overlooked and undiagnosed.

Testing for Sleep Apnea with the Edgeworth Sleep Test

A Sleep Test is the most common tool used to diagnose Sleep Apnea. During the sleep  test usually half the night will be spent diagnosing whether the patient does have Sleep Apnea. The second portion of the test will be spent using CPAP
equipment to document any improvement and measure its effectiveness. The most common test for symptoms is the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. This is not a diagnosis but simply a guideline to indicateto your physician that you may have Sleep
Apnea and may require a sleep study. If you suspect that you or a loved one may suffer from Sleep Apnea try answering the following questions:

How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the situations described below, in contrast to feeling just tired?
This refers to your usual way of life in recent times. Even if you haven’t done some of these things recently try to work out how they would have affected you. Use the following scale to choose the most appropriate number for each situation:

0 = would never doze
1 = Slight chance of dozing
2 = Moderate chance of dozing
3 = High chance of dozing

Situation Chance of dozing

Sitting and reading
Watching TV
Sitting, inactive in a public place (e.g. a theatre or a meeting)
As a passenger in a car for an hour without a break
Lying down to rest in the afternoon when circumstances permit
Sitting and talking to someone
Sitting quietly after a lunch without alcohol
In a car, while stopped for a few minutes in the traffic

Total

_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________
_____________

_____________

Score:

0-10 NORMAL RANGE
10-12 BORDERLINE
12-24 ABNORMAL

Treatment With CPAP Equipment

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is the most common treatment for patients who have been diagnosed for Sleep Apnea. The amount of pressure being delivered with a CPAP machine is usually determined by your sleep study
and varies for each person. This equipment is only available through an order written by your physician. The biggest problem associated with CPAP is the patient’s inability to tolerate air pressure, the type of cpap mask used, or poor cpap mask fitting. Over a period of time many patients do get used to the pressure from CPAP with practice. I
have found that an excellent way to alleviate the discomfort especially during this learning phase is to use the “ramp” feature. The patient can use this feature anytime they are having difficulty tolerating the pressure from CPAP. The
“ramp” feature reduces the pressure dramatically and within 30-45 minutes the pressure slowly builds up until optimal pressure has been reached again. The patient will usually fall asleep during this period and not notice the increased air
pressure.

BiLevel or BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) is designed for patients who have a high pressure prescribed or who have trouble tolerating the pressure associated with CPAP. BiPap has two pressures. Inspiratory (inhalation) and
Expiratory (exhalation) The Expiratory pressure is dramatically reduced so the patient can tolerate BiPAP. Although this equipment is much more expensive than CPAP most insurance companies will pay for it with the proper documentation.

In conclusion, there are many types of equipment and supplies to treat Sleep Apnea. Selecting the right equipment to handle your personal pressure settings along with a comfortable mask and the right filters and cushions can be quite
confusing. Therefore, it is important that you select a company that can not only provide you with quality CPAP machines and CPAP supplies but also with personal service customized for your particular needs. The very best durable medical
equipment companies are awarded the Gold Seal of Approval by the Joint Commission so that is also something to look for when selecting a company. Lastly, select a company that specializes in Sleep Apnea equipment and service for your best
chance at achieving your goal to sleep better now!

About The Author:

Lloyd Mote is a licensed Respiratory Therapist with over twenty years of experience. He is also the Chief Executive
Officer and founder of Americare Respiratory Services, Inc., which has been awarded the Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission.

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