Friday, September 18, 2009

Fighting Sleep Apnea

It really doesn’t seem that long ago when a person snored loudly, the only thing people thought about was sleeping in a different room. However, as medical science has advanced, a new disease called sleep apnea as come to the forefront. Sleep apnea is a disease that causes a person to stop breathing in their sleep for a variety of reasons. Over time this disease can lead to death. It is for this reason that so many people have a legitimate concern over fighting this deadly disease.

Medical attention

The first thing you should do if you suspect that you or someone you love has sleep apnea is arrange for a sleep test. This test will monitor the subject as they sleep over night and reveal if the person does indeed have sleep apnea. Once you have been diagnosed you can start treatment with a machine known as a CPAP machine.

Lose weight
Being overweight is suspected as being one of the main causes of sleep apnea. Even if you don’t have sleep apnea, being overweight can make sleep much less restful. If you are overweight, start doing whatever you can to lose weight. Even if you only lose ten pounds, it will help your body significantly.

Consider nasal surgery
Another common factor among people with sleep apnea is a deviated septum. Through either injury or birth some people have a septum that interferes with their ability to breath. If you have difficulty sleeping, or suffer from sleep apnea, discuss having your septum repaired with your doctor.

Change your mattress
This may seem to be a very small concern but in all actuality many people with sleeping problems including sleep apnea do not use a good mattress possibly a decent pocket sprung mattress. If your mattress is over four years old, give serious consideration to replacing it. While this may not help much with the sleep apnea, it will help your body rest better.

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