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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The Differences Between the CPAP and the BiPAP

The CPAP machine is designed to increase the pressure when you inhale to keep the airways in the nose, throat and mouth from closing while you are sleeping. This has been a great help to many people who suffer from sleep apnea and may stop breathing several times a night.

On the other hand, the BiPAP machine may help as well. Using the same setup as a CPAP with tubing, masks and a machine, the BiPAP uses a different setting. The CPAP uses one pressure and the BiPAP uses two. These two pressures are called inhalation pressure (IPAP) and the exhalation pressure (EPAP).

Where the CPAP works as the person using it inhales, the BiPAP provides more breathing assistance. They have been prescribed for patients who have congestive heart failure and other serious diseases affecting the heart and lungs. People with nerve and muscle problems may also benefit from the BiPAP machine rather than the CPAP machine.

The BiPAP is preset with two settings. The pressure when inhaling and exhaling is monitored. When the person sleeping does not breathe for a certain mount of time, the BiPAP increases pressure and forces them to take a breath. There are higher level CPAP machines that do this as well. These machines need a BPM (breathes per minute) setting that is targeted to your particular breathing needs.

Both machines are designed to make sure the users breathe a set number of times per minute. One of the main benefits of the BiPAP machine is the pressure is decreased as the person breathes out. This keeps them from having to work as hard at breathing and the person is able to have a more restful sleep.

The BiPAP machine is not large or noisy. They are designed to make the least amount of noise possible so you can sleep. The inclusion of a humidifier may be included with the BiPAP making it a higher end machine than the CPAP.

The main difference between these two machines will be the needs of the patient. The one that will help each individual with the specific breathing problems they have will be based on doctor’s examinations and recommendations. A sleep test will be conducted to allow the doctor to see exactly what settings are needed on the type of machine required.

The CPAP machine will be used for mild sleep apnea. Make no mistake, this can be a dangerous condition. It just depends on the levels of sleep apnea to govern the needed machine. Both machines are quite beneficial and are crucial to keeping sleepers breathing when they have problems.

In conclusion, remember, the sleep apnea machines are not designed to be used as ventilators. They do not breathe for you. They merely make sure you take the number of breaths per minute that your doctor believes is right for you. After doing tests to determine what the correct number may be, the doctor will advise you as to which machine he thinks you need.

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There are three kinds of sleep apneas: obstructive, central and complex. It has been estimated that 84% of sleep apneas are obstructive, 0.4% central, and 15% complex. Obstructive, which is the most common, is caused by the physical block to airflow despite the body’s efforts to breathe. Central sleep apnea has something to do with how the brain signals the body to breath, and the miscommunication interrupts the breathing. Complex sleep apnea is actually the combination of both obstructive and central, which means the two kinds of sleep apneas transition to one another.

The problem with sleep apnea, however, is the person’s inability to recognize that he or she has it, even if the person suddenly wakes up in the middle of the night. Usually, sleep apneas are identified by other people who witnesses the person’s sleeping habits. Some people who suffer from sleep apnea might go on without knowing they have it for years or even decades. Though rarely fatal, sleep apnea causes anxiety, fatigue and sleepiness during the morning.

Asthma, on the other hand, is more recognizable by many since it is largely hereditary and easily diagnosed. Though the two might be entirely different, this does not mean that they are not correlated. According to the University of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, young women who have asthma are twice likely to develop sleep apnea. They noticed that young women with asthma snores a lot while sleeping, and one of the best indicators that a person has sleep apnea is habitual snoring. Many people often disregard snoring in young adults as indicators of sleep apnea, since many have the notion that sleep apnea only affects older people (especially men). In fact, there are many groups of people who are susceptible to sleep apnea, and the researchers in the University of Cincinnati have correlated respiratory complications (due to smoking, asthma or otherwise) with sleep apnea.

Other studies also have found that asthma can cause other sleeping disorders other than sleep apnea. A support of this theory is that many asthmatics have reported sleepiness during daytime, which is an indicator of sleep apnea. However, patients who have both sleep apnea and asthma have found relief from their asthma when they were treated for their sleep apneas. The trouble with this theory is that researches have yet to concretely correlate both sleep apnea and asthma. Though many studies have indicated that there is a connection, until they find a definite link between the two, they will still have yet to find a better way to treat both conditions.

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Types Of Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea is classified into three main types such as:
Central sleep apnea (CSA),
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and
Mixed sleep apnea

Before explaining about the different types of this sleeping disorder, we?d like to say that all types of sleep apnea will have the same effects: sleeplessness, drowsiness and severe headache. Now let?s explain more about the three different types of sleep apnea.

1. Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)

The central type of sleep apnea is closely associated with the brain impulses. Under certain conditions, the brain will fail to send the impulse required to stimulate breathing resulting in some discontinued breath cycle. Central sleep apnea is occurs more often in people who have heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, or congenital diseases. Recent researches indicate that central sleep apnea will can occur as a result of consuming certain kinds of medication.

2. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

This sleeping disorder is caused due to the narrowing of the air passage than normal. The obstructive sleep apnea can be related to many other medical problems such as high blood pressure, Heart problems, Weight gain, Constant tiredness, Diabetes, Slow metabolism, Memory/concentration problems, Depression, Anxiety, Sore throat and Dry mouth.

3. Mixed sleep apnea

As the name indicates, this type of sleep apnea is a combination of both central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea.

The treatment options available for Sleep apnea:

Unlike the past, today there are many treatment options available for the treatment of this sleeping disorder. CPAP therapy is widely used for the treatment of sleep apnea. This therapy involves air that is pushed into the respiratory system with the help of a special device called a CPAP machine. The machine is hooked up to a CPAP mask that resembles a ventilator in looks and pumps air into the air passage when the sleep apnea cycle occurs.

The Difficulties of using CPAP masks

People using the CPAP masks have reported five main difficulties like:
* Air leakage
* Pressure from headgear
* Limited sleep positions
* Skin irritation
* Noise

The Solution:

All the 5 difficulties associated with the traditional CPAP masks are overcome by a technological breakthrough. Various researches confirm that the latest invention called SleepWeaver CPAP mask eliminates all the 5 difficulties involved in the traditional CPAP therapy.

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