Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder and most people would not know they have it since the most discerning signs and symptoms manifest during sleep
. According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep apnea affects more than 18 million Americans. This makes sleep apnea as common as type 2 diabetes. Yet because of lack of awareness from health care professionals, the majority of sleep apnea patients remain undiagnosed and untreated despite the fact that this sleeping condition has grievous consequences.
If left untreated, sleep apnea may result to numerous life threatening health conditions such as;
Stroke
Diabetes
Depression
Hypertension
Memory problems
Car accidents caused by falling asleep at the wheel
Impotence
Increased risk of developing cancer
And heart diseases among other ailments
Risk factors
Sleep apnea is seen more in men than in women particularly the African-America and Hispanic men. It occurs about 4% in men and 2% in women. It usually occurs over the age of 40 but do not be deceived, it can strike anyone at any age, even children.
You might be at risk of sleep apnea if you have:
A neck size of 16 inches or more - a large neck have more fatty tissue that can block the airways which can result to long pauses of breathing while asleep (sleep apnea itself)
Obese - an adult with a BMI of 25 or higher is at risk of developing sleep apnea. Experts said that your risk of sleep apnea increases with the amount of your excess body weight
A snoring problem - snoring is a common sign of sleep apnea and means that your airways are blocked. Sleep apnea occurs when your air passages is completely blocked and you stop breathing for 10 seconds or more
A family history of sleep apnea - if by any chance one of your family members has sleep apnea your risk of developing the condition is higher
Treatment options
Fortunately sleep apnea can be treated. To know what actions to take, you need to determine first once and for all if you are suffering from this sleep disorder. You can use an overnight sleep apnea test. That way you will be able to seek immediate medical help the following morning should the test turn out to be positive (meaning you do have sleep apnea).