Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. Sleep apnea is very common, as common as adult diabetes, and affects more than twelve million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of forty, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children. Yet still because of the lack of awareness by the public and healthcare professionals, the vast majority remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences.
Common sleep apnea symptoms include:
•Waking up with a very sore and/or dry throat
•Occasionally waking up with a choking or gasping sensation
•Sleepiness during the day
•Morning headaches
•Forgetfulness, mood changes and a decreased interest in sex
•Recurrent awakenings or insomnia
Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated. A wonderful site called http://www.cpapformedicare.com offers a great solution to this disorder.
You can treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) at home if you have mild sleep apnea (5 or fewer apnea episodes per hour). Home treatment for sleep apnea includes:
•Losing weight.
•Limiting the use of alcohol and medicine.
•Getting plenty of sleep.
•Sleeping on your side.
If you are using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine to help you breathe, use it every night. If you don't use it all night, every night, your symptoms will return right away.
CpapforMedicare.com is a website designed to serve Medicare (and most PPO) patients who need or use CPAP or BIPAP Machine. They also supplied the “paraphernalia" used with CPAP or BIPAP Equipment such as Masks, Tubing, Filters, Headgear, Humidifiers, Chin Straps and the list goes on!
It is highly recommend you change your mask every six months and the cushion or pillows quarterly. Your tubing or hose can be changed monthly if needed, It suggest one should change it quarterly if needed as the those can harbor bacteria and one have to breathe through this every night!. You have to sleep with this device every night; you want to make sure your equipment is in top shape! This company offers a wide range of CPAP masks according to one’s choice and sizes. Gone those days when one has to adjust itself to old styled mask.
Cpapformedicare.com offers us all the essentials needed to overcome this disorder including: CPAP Machine, APAP Machines, BIPAP Machine, Heated Humidifiers, Passive Humidifiers (cool) etc. Wide range of accessories like: Ultra Fine Filters, Grey Pollen Filters, Mask Cushions, Respironics Deluxe Chin Strap, Oxygen Enrichment Attachment, Respironics Chin Strap.
There are Medicare coverage facilities which they provide suited to the patients’ requirement. The only National medical equipment provider with a Quarterly Notification and Replacement program for sleep equipment, only represent the top manufacturers of CPAP equipment such as ResMed, Respironics, Puritan Bennett, Fisher & Paykel.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Surgery
Sleep apnea's clearest symptom is snoring which is difficult to spot yourself and usually has to be brought to your attention by a sleeping partner. There are however many reasons for snoring and the fact that you snore does not itself mean that you have sleep apnea. However, the majority of sleep apnea sufferers do snore.
The next clear symptom of sleep apnea is excessive daytime tiredness. People who suffer from sleep apnea stop breathing frequentlywhile sleeping and the body's natural reaction is to awaken you enough for you to begin breathing again, but not enough for you to be conscious of the fact that you are being awakened. This of course means that your sleep is constantly interrupted and very light so that you are not getting the deep sleep that you need. As a consequence you grow more and more tired during the day.
If left untreated the effects of sleep apnea begin to emerge and you will start to experience additional symptoms that could include headaches (especially in the morning), irritability and depression. You could also find that you are beginning to gain weight.
Yet another not quite so obvious sign of sleep apnea is an increase in blood pressure that can lead to several cardiovascular difficulties. If you are one of the growing number of people who are now monitoring their blood pressure at home you will pick this up fairly easily but, it not, it will not be found unless you attend your doctor's office to have a routine physical examination.
Another symptom is that of growing difficulties with memory retention and learning difficulties. Once again this is not something that it is easy for you to see yourself but others around you might well notice that you are not as quick on the uptake as you once were.
Lastly, a number of sufferers from sleep apnea will notice a drop in sexual function that can result in impotency.
Any of these symptoms in isolation could point to just about any problem you can think of. When you begin to notice these symptoms appearing alongside one another however then there is a good chance that you have sleep apnea and you ought to consult your doctor and think about being tested for sleep apnea.
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