5 Little Known Facts About Sleep Apnea

February 4, 2016

Sleep apnea is best known for frequent pauses in breathing during sleep. Each pause is called an apnea and can last up to even several minutes. These pauses may occur up to 30 times in an hour. Many people are diagnosed with this condition and use a CPAP mask to prevent breathing pauses, which can be life threatening. Unfortunately, there are many undiagnosed people who do not receive required treatment nor use a good CPAP device.

What’s important to know is that sleep apnea is not just snoring. It can greatly impact your general health. Lack of sleep significantly increases the possibility of getting a heart attack, encourages weight gain and can lead to various accidents at home. If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, before you decide buy a good CPAP device, here are a few little-known facts about sleep apnea you should know.

If you have purchased a CPAP mask from unauthorized supplier and unlicensed source, the chances of it not fitting correctly are huge. Improperly fitted CPAP mask can ruin the natural position of your teeth and jaw. It can also close your airways during the sleep and increase the chances of apnea. To avoid this, schedule an appointment with a doctor that will make sure you are using a good CPAP device that fits you properly.

• Sleep apnea episodes occur when the normal cycle of human’s body is interrupted. In many cases, people with sleep apnea can stop breathing more than 350 times times in a single night. Normally, this occurs only a few times each night, but people who suffer from severe sleep apnea can suffer hundreds of apneic episodes.

• People with sleep apnea do not create human growth hormone at night, because the apneic episodes often interrupt their bodies. So, the insufficient human growth hormone can easily lead to getting overweight. Lower levels of testosterone and a decrease in lean muscle mass in the body is the result of the insufficient amount of hormones, which both encourage weight gain.

• Peeing a lot during night indicates sleep apnea, but is often ignored symptom of sleep apnea. This happens as a result of the heart not getting enough oxygen what leads to excess pressure on the body. The brain interprets it as having too much fluid and sends signals to body to pass urine. If you often get up to pee at night, it is best you get a good CPAP device and begin your sleep apnea treatment.

• Sleep apnea patients are more likely to have a car accident. Lack of quality sleep causes drowsiness and some people fall asleep even when talking.