Trouble Sleeping? Do you know why?

After a challenging day at work and a tiring night at home, you are finally ready for your face to reach the soft, cool pillow that will take you to dreamland where you can abandon your problems and fatigue. But what really happens when you are sleeping? And how much of it are we aware of? There are a number of sleep disorders that go undiagnosed. Sleep apnea is one of them.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Each episode, called an apnea, lasts long enough so that one or more breaths are missed, and such episodes occur repeatedly throughout sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common category of sleep-disordered breathing. The muscle tone of the body ordinarily relaxes during sleep and at the level of the throat the human airway is composed of collapsible walls of soft tissue which can obstruct breathing during sleep.

The most common treatment for sleep apnea is CPAP, or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy. A CPAP machine is usually about the size of a shoebox but can be smaller. A flexible tube connects the machine with a mask or other interface device that is worn over the nose and/or mouth. CPAP works by pushing air through the airway passage at a pressure high enough to prevent apneas and can be prescribed for both obstructive and central sleep apnea. The pressure is set according to the patient's sleep apnea.

Continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) uses a machine to help a person who has obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) breathe more easily during sleep. A CPAP machine increases air pressure in your throat so that your airway does not collapse when you breathe in. When you use CPAP, your bed partner may sleep better, too.

When a person with OSA considers all the options for treatment, he or she may be tempted not to choose any of them. The masks and dental appliances have to be worn every night. The surgeries are painful and have no guarantee that they will be successful. When considering the consequences of all the treatments, however, it is important to remember the consequences of not receiving treatment. It is estimated that only 10% of patients with obstructive sleep apnea are being treated. Some of the remaining 90% know that they have a problem, but they choose not to pursue treatment.

Untreated sleep apnea can cause:

• Increase the risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, and diabetes
• Increase the risk for or worsen heart failure
• Make irregular heartbeats more likely
• Increase the chance of having work-related or driving accidents.

If you think that you or someone you know may have OSA, please discuss the symptoms with your doctor and consider treatment options.

Author: Deniz Husrev
Date Published: 01/14/2009
Related key terms: sleep apnea, CPAP machine, osa