Are you plagued by tiredness? Do others say you snore? Are you at least slightly overweight? If so, you could have sleep apnea.
If all these are true, don’t wait! Sleep apnea could be shortening your life. Have your doctor prescribe a sleep study to find out whether you have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where you are holding your breath and then gasping for air man times a night. Here’s one reason why you shouldn’t wait: it will shorten your life. You are at increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular disease including aneurism. Here’s the other reason why you shouldn’t wait: there’s treatment.
In sleep apnea, the airway collapses during an intake breath. Fatty tissue lining the airway causes the airway to lose elasticity. At least a bit of excess weight is therefore generally necessary for sleep apnea to occur. Sufferers generally also snore.
The airway closes. The sleeper struggles for breath. The oxygen level in the blood drops. As a result, blood pressure spikes. The sleeper begins to awaken. A semi-conscious effort opens the airway, and the breath is finally allowed in. This cycle can happen several times per minute. If breathing stops for 10 seconds, sleep apnea is diagnosed.
Your cardiovascular system will wear out from the constantly spiking blood pressure. Your rest will be ruined because of the constant near-waking.
The fact that you are holding your breath may come as a surprise to you. It’s the constant tiredness that will be obvious.
Studies show that the spiking blood pressure countless times per night correlates wtih increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This condition, in fact, can kill you.
What to do?
Effective treatment has been available for a couple of decades now. The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system supplies air from a fan through a hose to a mask placed over the nose and mouth. Pressure from the fan keeps the airway open as you breathe in. It’s not so much pressure that you can’t breathe out.
Well, nothing’s perfect, and some people report their masks are not comfortable. But there are plenty of options on the market.
Another downside is that you have to wear it whenever you lie down to sleep. If you go traveling or camping, you still have to wear it.
Is the fan noise a problem? Users say no; the white noise can actually help them fall asleep.
So, do a quick risk analysis. Is the risk of early death worth the inconvenience of wearing a mask and finding an electric outlet whenever you fall asleep?