subject: Sleep Apnea - How It Should Be Treated [print this page] If you're male, over the age of 40, and overweight, you are at high risk for developing sleep apnea. You may have already developed it and don't know it yet. If you are chronically fatigued and never feel as though you've gotten a good night's rest, it's a good sign that you could have the condition. If you snore a great deal or wake up in the middle of the night feeling at a loss for breath, you might be afflicted. Before this turns into a Foxworthy-type list, let's go ahead and talk about the treatment for the condition. Keep in mind that if you feel you might have sleep apnea, it's important to see a qualified doctor and get a professional opinion.
In many cases, sleep apnea is the result of certain lifestyle choices. If you can reverse those choices, you may very well be able to cure yourself of the condition. Two of the major factors that usually play a big role are smoking and being overweight. So it stands to reason that quitting the habit and losing some weight would help you rest a lot better. Not only will it almost certainly alleviate much of your sleeping problems, it makes for much better lifestyle choices and can benefit your overall health greatly. If you consume alcohol, this can also have an aggravating effect on the condition.
Few forms of medication have gained in popularity as much in recent years as those promising to help us get better rest. In what can only be seen as a cruel form of irony, these same medications can actually aggravate sleep apnea in many people. In fact, when doctors treat patients for the condition, one of the first things they do is see if they are taking any of these aids and try to get them to cut back. Certain pills that treat anxiety and muscle relaxers are also known to enhance the condition. Don't take yourself off any medications without talking it over with the physician who prescribed them.
One of the most popular and effective forms of treatment comes in the form of the CPAP machine. CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure. The machine comes with a full breathing mask that the patient wear when they are ready to go to bed. While this may not be the sexiest bedroom attire, it can save your life. It forces fresh oxygen into your lungs while you rest, making it impossible for your airway passages to become obstructed. There are automatically adjusted forms of the machine that can be easier on people who find it difficult to deal with the sensations.
