Do You Fall Asleep During the Day?
By Susan Harris | July 12, 2008
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If you are always tired, others tell you that you snore, and you are at least a bit overweight, you can suspect you have sleep apnea.
If you meet these criteria, have your doctor prescribe a sleep study for you. Don’t wait! Your life could be shortened by sleep apnea, and it’s all unnecessary — there’s treatment. If you have sleep apnea, you hold your breath and then gasp for air many times a night. It results in increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular disease including aneurism.
Sleep apnea is caused by the collapse of the airway while breathing in. This condition happens when excess fatty tissue lining the airway causes the airway to lose elasticity. It is a condition generally caused by excess poundage. Snoring usually occurs also.
After the airway closes, the oxygen level in the blood drops. Blood pressure shoots up. The sleeper struggles to breathe and begins to wake up. Returning to consciousness, the sleeper opens the airway, and the breath is completed. The sleeper falls back to sleep. The cycle begins again, perhaps many times per minute. Breath cessation for 10 seconds will bring you a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
The spiking blood pressure is what wears out the cardiovascular system. The semi-conscious effort is what deprives you of sleep.
The fact that you are holding your breath may come as a surprise to you. It’s the constant tiredness that will be obvious.
The sudden rise in blood pressure many times a night is what can kill you, by leading to heart disease or stroke.
There’s treatment?
An effective treatment method has been developed over the past few decades. The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device consists of a face mask, an air hose, and a fan in side a box. The fan supplies pressure through the hose to your airway. It’s not too much pressure–you can easily breathe out — but when you breathe in, it boosts the airway pressure enough to prevent collapse.
One downside is that the mask can be uncomfortable. But a variety of suppliers offer options now, one of which will probably fit your face.
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?
Topics: Weight Loss |
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