Sleep Apnea has been linked with many potential health issues but it looks like there’s yet another one to add to the list.

Sleep Apnea is characterised usually by snoring followed by brief periods / pauses in breathing before the sufferer then resumes normal breathing.

A new study has found that people who suffer from this conditions are over two and a half times more likely to suffer from a stroke. The study looked at nearly 400 subjects who were over 70 years of age and followed them and there sleep patterns for over six years. During that time 20 had suffered a stroke a much higher incidence than found in the general population.

This study highlights the possible dangers associated with this chronic condition and it is suggested that if you believe you have have sleep apnea you visit a health professional to get a proper diagnosis. It’s never a good idea to self diagnose and treat the condition yourself with over the counter medication and Snoring Cures as you may just mask the symptoms.

It is estimated that over 5% of the population could be suffering from Sleep Apnea and the vast majority of them are unaware of it. Sleeping with a partner is your best chance of finding out if you have this condition because it’s usually they who notice it first. I always knew there had to be at least one advantage to being married and I think I’ve just discovered it

So the risks include heart problems, high blood pressure, obesity and now stroke along with a slew of other medical problems it’s no joke and should be taken seriously.

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Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Stroke Risk For People With Sleep Apnea

Two new studies have shown that over a third of us don’t get at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night. These studies were large with over 70,000 people surveyed in 2009.

The study highlighted four potentially serious sleep patterns which included

1. Lack of sleep (not enough)
2. The dreaded snoring
3. Falling asleep during the day
4. Most worrying falling asleep (nodding off) while driving

A massive 47% reported snoring and 5% fell asleep at the wheel When I think of the problems associated with lack of sleep falling asleep at the wheel has to be the most lethal particularly if you’re a truck driver.

We all know that getting a good nights sleep is essential and this report highlights a trend that is getting worse year on year. Some have attributed it to the increased ammount of stress the general population suffers these days from a shortage of money to longer working hours it looks like this problem is not going away.

Many sleep related disorders go away on there own but if you have persistent difficulties getting a good nights rest it’s strongly suggested you see a Physician as it could be an indicator of a more serious health problem like Sleep Apnea.

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Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Do You Get More Than 7 Hours Of Sleep?

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea usually requires many visits to the doctor and sometimes an overnight stay in a sleep clinic. Expensive and disruptive to all concerned.

Now though a company in Manhatten has invented a device which can be used at home which is said to be able to diagnose Sleep Apnea without the patient having to leave the comfort of there own home.

The device is a portable wireless application which has been cleared by the FDA for diagnosing Sleep Apnea. It’s a just a headband that the user places over there forehead presses a button and the device then monitors your sleep patterns and reports any incidence of sleep apnea to a recording unit.

The data can then be analysed by a specialist to determin if you’ve had any sleep apniec events.

Sleep Apnea can be a serious health issue so anything that makes diagnosis easier and quicker has got to be good news for sufferers.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Sleep Apnea Home Diagnosis Kit

We tend to talk a lot about how damaging snoring and related conditions like Sleep Apnea can be for a sufferer’s health, but let’s not forget that it can also have a major effect on a sufferer’s partner.

It is estimated that someone who is sleeping with a loud snorer will, on average, lose the equivalent of an hour’s sleep each night, due to the interruption to their sleeping patterns that this disturbance can cause. As we know, the facts of Sleep Apnea are that a sufferer will experience sporadic blockages of the breathing passages as they sleep, which prevents them, intermittently, from breathing. Typically, this problem clears itself through loud, explosive snoring, the shock of which is forceful enough to jolt a sleeping partner from one phase of sleep to another.

Obviously, the stresses and strains this places on the sufferer’s body have a number of unfortunate consequences, such as increased blood pressure, excessive tiredness and difficulty concentrating during the day, and a number of other symptoms.

The partner of the sleep apnea sufferer, or chronic snorer for that matter, won’t be directly experiencing these physiological effects, but they will end up with some of the problems of reduced quality sleep, both physical and mental. That hour a night figure we mentioned at the start of the article is quite a lot. It doesn’t take long over time for the negative effects to really start stacking up.

That’s the  bad news, now here’s the good. Seeking help for this problem can make a difference almost immediately. In studies of couples where a partner started to use a treatment such as a CPAP mask or even lesser snoring aids like nasal strips or a chin strap, their partner saw a drastic improvement in the quality of their sleep- often gaining almost all of that ‘lost hour’ back again.

This is heartening news for anyone who is suffering from snoring problems, and anyone who is feeling guilty about putting their partner through difficulties. Getting help, and using the right anti-snoring aid, can make all the difference!

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Snoring- Bad For Your Health, Bad For Your Partner’s Health

It’s becoming more and more widely understood that the body is a series of interconnected systems, and that when something goes wrong with one of these systems, then this can cause further complications and side-effects in another. It’s also true that as Obstructive Sleep Apnea is more and more fully understood, and that knowledge permeates throughout the medical profession, more and more connections are being found with OSA and other, secondary conditions.

Here’s another such example of one thing leading to another- Sleep Apnea sufferers have recently been shown to also be prone to developing symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder (or ADD if you haven’t the patience!)

In a lot of ways, it stands to reason- if your quality of sleep is impaired or reduced, then you’re going to find it harder to concentrate.  OSA is one of the most common sleep disorders, but it’s not always looked for or considered as a cause when a patient is suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder. There are new suggestions that ADD sufferers should be screened for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and for other sleep disorders, as there has been found to be a high incidence of ADD for OSA sufferers with no previous history of ADD. Now, it should be said that this isn’t a direct causal link yet, but it is a strong correlation, which seems to chime with the kind of mental effects one would expect from reduced quality of sleep.

Fortunately, however, all the indications are that for such sufferers, treatment is very effective. In tests,  a number of patients who had been presenting with medium level to extreme ADHD symptoms were shown to have a significant reduction in these symptoms 60% of the time when treated with a CPAP machine, one of the standard treatments for dealing with Sleep Apnea.

This is a good thing for treatment, and similarly for awareness- the reccomendation of Doctor Clifford Risk of the Marlboro Center for Sleep Disorders to other physicians is that “If they (a patient) have ADHD the doctor should be asking them how their sleep is, do you snore or have sleep apnea and/or do you have insomnia at night?” This increase of awareness, combined with recent improvements in the efficiency and the comfort of diagnosis, is a very good thing indeed for OSA sufferers.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Another Consequence Of Sleep Apnea- Attention Deficit Disorder?

Sleep Apnea is understood to be strongly correlated with obesity- the more extra weight a person is carrying, the more likely it is that they will suffer from the narrowing of the breathing pathways like the nose and throat. this then makes a person more prone to the closure of these pathways during sleep which constitutes the interruptions to breathing which makes up the harmful aspects of Sleep Apnea.

This can lead to something of a vicious cycle for the sufferer. The way this happens is that poor quality sleep can lead to hormonal and physical changes which can trigger weight gain, including increased appetite. furthermore, the fatigue of sleep deprivation can make it hard for a person to take regular exercise.  this, along with the other health implications of obesity, can serve to make Sleep Apnea even worse.

This vicious cycle can be very hard to break, unless one deals with the root cause of the problem- the initial weight gain. One rather extreme solution to this problem which is gaining in popularity is the gastric band, a surgically implanted device which is designed to clamp down on the stomach, and reduce its capacity. This then helps to regulate the patient’s appetite, making them feel fuller, quicker. This helps them keep control of their consumption levels.

More and more people are using this procedure, and this has even found favour in that haven of the outsize gentleman, America’s National Football League.  Recently, the death of former Gridiron star Reggie White  was attributed in part to respiratory complications arising from Sleep Apnea, and several high-profile figures, including coaches and current players, have undergone the procedure. They have also commonly mentioned a concern about Sleep Apnea as a factor in their decision.

This is, of course, a rather extreme solution to the problem of obesity, and it is of course much better not to put one’s self in this situation in the first place. It is something, however, which if reccomended by a physician, can be part of the solution to a major problem. If you’re serious about dealing with Sleep Apnea, this is one possible resort open to you.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Gastric Bands And Sleep Apnea

Traditionally, the way to diagnose Sleep Apnea in a patient, or rather to confirm a diagnosis, has been for that patient to spend a night in a sleep lab. There, a complicated series of monitors and sensors would determine that OSA was indeed the issue- air pressure readings, heart-rate monitors and so on would be employed to confirm that the intermittent obstructions and interruptions to  breathing were actually occurring during sleep.

This was a time-consuming and, for some, inconvenient process. Recently, however, great strides have been made in home diagnosis. A recent study carried out by the Philadelphia VA Medical Center’s pulmonary, critical care and sleep section has determined that the new generation of portable sleep monitors can be relied upon just as much as the old-school lab approach.

The study showed that once a three-month period of Continuous positive airway pressure treatment had been carried out, there was no discernible difference  in the long-term prognosis of people diagnosed by either method.

This is good news for a number of reasons. Firstly, it means that it will now  be easier to diagnose for sleep apnea- all someone has to do is have the sleep monitor set up in their home. In terms of sheer man-hours, it means that those professionals treating sleep disorders will be able to do so on a more flexible and time-efficient manner. The quicker that a diagnosis can be achieved, the more time can then be spent on treating the condition.  There is also a consequent reduction in the amount of inconvenience to the lives of the patient.

This is a good thing for a number of reasons, not least of which is the face that it is now seen as less of a hassle by both physicians and patients. If you think you or your partner might suffer from this condition, there is now less and less of an excuse to get it checked out.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Sleep Apnea Is Getting Easier To Treat At Home

There’s all kinds of hints and tips out there which are advocated as Cures For Snoring, from the tennis ball sewn into the shirt, to nasal strips, to the dreaded CPAP machine strapped to your face and pumping air down your gullet during the night. There’s also a multitude of wild and wacky techniques- tongue exercises, singing, and a whole range of other strange ideas.

Here’s the latest of them all- playing the digeridoo. Recent research by a Swiss team has suggested that this world-renowned aborigine instrument can be just the ticket for the snoring sufferer looking for a cure to their problem.

Let’s consider how and why this is supposed to work. One of the main reasons someone is likely to suffer from the more unpleasant and loud forms of snoring is OSA, which is at base a problem of slack and loose throat tissues, leading to intermittent closure of the breathing passages during sleep. This causes a very loud, sporadic and explosive form of snoring, which can wake even the most soundly asleep bed-partner!

It also wakes the sleeper- the typical OSA sufferer can partially wake from sleep hundreds of  times every night, which greatly reduces the quality of the rest the sufferer is getting. It can also lead to depression, high blood pressure, and a whole host of other related problems.

Well then. This much the average snoring sufferer knows. What can playing the didgeridoo possibly do to help?

Well, consider the previous point, that OSA happens when the muscles of the throat are weak and loose. And now consider how you play the didgeridoo. It’s all about circular breathing, which maintains a steady flow of air through the instrument. That’s quite similar to the state a CPAP machine is looking to create artificially. If you’re playing a didgeridoo, then what you’re doing is training the muscles of your throat to do this on their own. What these Swiss researchers found was that if you make the throat muscles stronger, this is a very effective way to combat OSA.

So, maybe those aborigines had the right idea. To be fair, there are a lot of other wind instruments out there, many of which will do the same thing. There’s something irresistible about a didgeridoo, though, isn’t there?

Just don’t play it too late at night!

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

Another (Rather Noisy) Way To Reduce Your Snoring.

We’ve dealt with Sleep Apnea, its symptoms, causes and treatment, extensively in previous articles here, but today we’re going to turn to a similar condition, which is starting to attract some clinical attention- Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome.

This is a medical condition which has only recently  been identified, and shares many common features with Sleep Apnea. It is primarily a narrowing of the upper breathing passages, leading to increased air pressure and difficulty in breathing during sleep. Like Sleep Apnea, it can be caused by factors such as obesity, or relaxation of the soft tissues in the throat, nose and mouth. Similarly, this can lead to interruptions to the sleeping cycle, and a reduction in the quality of sleep. As a result, a sufferer may find themselves afflicted by excessive daytime sleepiness, and a variety of other problems, such as high blood pressure and hypertension.

Where it differs from Sleep Apnea is that in UARS, the airways never completely close up. This means you don’t get the distinctive interruptions to breathing and choking sounds, followed by loud snores that a Sleep Apnea sufferer will display. This is all well and good for one’s partner, of course, but it does mean that UARS is something of a silent problem- a sufferer will tend to snore, but it can be overlooked as just ‘normal’ snoring.

If you are getting some of the problems described, then you find you may need to be treated in the same way- with a CPAP machine, by taking steps to lose weight, and to strengthen the tissues of the breathing passages.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

A Variation on Sleep Apnea- Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome

Truckers have long been identified as a group who are at an increased risk of Sleep Apnea. It’s the lifestyle, more than anything else. It involves long hours and strange sleeping patterns, combined with a lack of exercise- let’s face it, sitting there motionless behind the wheel for hours and hours at a time isn’t exactly  good for one’s health. Given these conditions, it’s no surprise that for long-distance drivers of all kinds, Sleep Apnea, insomnia and obesity is rampant.

This picture isn’t entirely bleak, however. A recent study has shown that it’s quite possible to reduce the cost of healthcare, and the incidence of disability. The key to this treatment? Dealing with Sleep Apnea effectively.

This study focussed on  248 commercial drivers who suffered from Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and divided them into two groups. The first, a group of 156, were seeking treatment, either CPAP therapy or some alternative, to alleviate their symptoms. The remaining 92 drivers were not.

The primary focus of the study was on looking at the insurance costs incurred by participants in the study, taking the cost of treatment as a basis for comparison, along with days taken off work, and insurance. The differences were striking. For drivers who received treatment, there was an average reduction in health care costs of $5,800 over two years. The drivers who received treatment also took less days off work, and spent less money on short-term disability costs.

What does this tell us? Well, in pure and simple economic terms, it tells you that getting medical treatment is a good idea if you have Sleep Apnea. Even for truck drivers, a profession who are more prone to OSA than any other, treatment can give significant benefits.

If you have a problem, then you don’t have to suffer on for fear of the cost. Apart from the health benefits, it may well be cheaper in the long run.

Posted by: Sleep And Snoring Aids

More Tales Of Sleep Apnea and Truckers