What is Sleep Apnoea and How Do you Treat it?

You may not have heard of sleep apnoea (also spelled apnea), it is a medical condition that cause a sleeping person’s airways to temporarily deflate, stopping the flow of oxygen to the lungs, and this, of course, wakes the person. This might occur half a dozen times a night, and while the person might not remember anything, this will have a negative impact on their overall health & well-being, thanks to a serious lack of quality sleep, and there are some daytime symptoms.

Day Time Symptoms of Sleep Apnoea

The following are common symptoms of sleep apnoea:

• Bouts of drowsiness.
• Extreme mood swings.
• Easily agitated.
• Inability to concentrate.

If you are always feeling tired, sleep apnoea might be the cause; indeed, many adults are unaware they have this condition and spend years wondering why they are not at their best.

Night Time Symptoms

These include the following:

• Making loud choking or gasping noises.
• Waking up often.
• Loud snoring.
• Irregular breathing pattern.

If your partner has commented on unusual sleep behaviour, this should be investigated further, especially if you are exhibiting any of the day time symptoms. If you sleep alone, you might have to be referred by your doctor to a hospital that has a sleep centre, where technicians can monitor your sleeping patterns to see if you are suffering from this condition.

Potential Treatments
One effective treatment is to wear a CPAP mask over the nose that is connected to a CPAP machine, which forces air down the airways, thus keeping the airways open, and that solves the problem. The CPAP machine is obviously a significant expense, and there are specialist online suppliers where you can pay over a period of time, rather than all at once. The supplier would also have a range of masks and other essential items, and should your GP recommend you use a CPAP machine while sleeping, this will probably solve the problem.

Surgery
Severe cases might require surgery, but the majority of patients respond well to breathing with the help of the CPAP machine, which combines water to dehumidify the air, and while it might feel strange wearing the nose mask, you very quickly adjust to this and you will be able to enjoy a good night’s sleep.

In the event you always seem to be tired and find it hard to focus for long periods of time, this might be due to sleep apnoea, and make an appointment with your GP to investigate further.