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What Is Sleep Apnea, And How Is It Treated?

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common cause of severe snoring problems, though this is far from the worst result of the disorder. Sleep apnea is the result of blockage or obstruction of the airways.

This blockage can have a wide variety of causes. These include: stiffening or loss of elasticity in the soft tissue of the throat; the buildup of fat deposits around the chest and neck, which press on the throat while forcing the head back during sleep (A simple check of whether this fat has reached unacceptable levels is to try touching your chin to your chest); and weakness in the muscles of the throat, which causes them to collapse in on themselves when under the gravitational strain of being in a horizontal position.

The fact that someone happens to be a loud snorer is actually insufficient for a diagnosis of full blown sleep apnea. Properly named, sleep apnea is only present if there are pauses in breathing during sleep (of which the sleeper is, typically, unaware). If the subject appears to be straining to breathe but failing, and pauses before resuming snoring, a diagnosis of sleep apnea is probable.

Quite aside from the negative effects of snoring (which include strained marital relations and the possibility of forming an atherosclerotic plaque, a known cause of stroke), sleep apnea can constitute a severe lifestyle disorder due to the constant missing of breaths during sleep. The result is that insufficient quantities of oxygen are absorbed during one of the most critical phases for rejuvenation of the body.

The consequent condition is known as hypoxemia, which, along with the laboratory studies showing the increased risk of cell death in the tissues of the brain, results in daytime fatigue, impaired levels of mental focus, reduced motivation, and an increased risk of depression.

There are a great many ways of treating obstructive sleep apnea. Your best bet is to try low tech before considering invasive surgery or buying any expensive machinery.

One of the most commonly recommended treatments for snoring is weight loss. Try ditching starchy, sugary and high fat fast foods for whole foods such as fresh fruit, steamed vegetables, grilled meat and wholegrain carbohydrates, like those in brown rice and wholewheat pasta. You’ll lose weight and have more energy to get through the day. Also, some supplements might help. Cellfood drops utilize water-splitting technology to provide a steady stream of oxygen to cells, helping to rejuvenate people suffering from low oxygen levels. Visit nuscience.com to learn about the benefits of this superb multivitamin.

Exercise can provide further benefits by way of weight loss and improved muscle tone. Try to get 4 exercise sessions of 30 minutes or more per week. Note that while systems promoting controlled breathing, such as tai chi or yoga, can help to improve the capacity of your lungs, you should focus on cardiovascular training, as this will improve the degree to which your body uptakes and utilizes oxygen.

Quitting alcohol and cigarettes is another way to address the problems of sleep apnea and snoring. Cigarette smoke, when inhaled, reduces lung capacity, and hence the pressure your lungs can exert to draw in and exhale air. Alcohol, aside from raising your levels of harmful cholesterol, causing you to gain weight, also relaxes muscles, reducing their resting tone. If your throat muscles are already weak, this can prompt them into outright collapse. If you can’t bring yourself to quit, try to keep from drinking for three to four hours prior to bedtime.

Sleep apnea can also be improved by altering your resting position. Sleeping on your side is best for keeping pressure off your throat. Anti-snoring pillows, such as those available from blackstonepillow.com, assist in correctly position the head, and cost less that $70. Alternatively, a chin strap of the kind available from mysnoringsolution.com may realign your jaw, and prevent your throat from caving in as you sleep.

If none of these methods work, it may be time to consider a CPAP machine, which will help to keep the pressure in your throat  constant, preventing soft tissues from touching and vibrating as you sleep. Before you make such an investment (as these devices can be quite expensive), visit your nearest sleep clinic, and consider undergoing a night of observation to determine the nature of your particular disorder.