HomeHealthSnoring:  Sleep and Helpful Products: Treat Apnea

Apnea Affects Sleep: Try These Products

Because many people place sleep apnea in the same category of sleep disorders as snoring, they may think that a search for sleep apnea products will be as simple as a search for snoring products or remedies. However, this is not the case at all because, whereas snoring is primarily a social problem due to the noisy disturbance, sleep apnea is a real health concern that needs accurate medical attention and intervention. Everyone knows that oxygen is essential to the proper functioning of the body and the well-being of its organs, so it seems clear that denying oxygen to the lungs for repeated periods throughout the night would have health consequences. Sleep apnea occurs when the body momentarily stops breathing repeatedly throughout the night and can result in chronic fatigue, lack of attention and focus, poor work performance, heart problems, high blood pressure, and stroke.

Selection of Sleep Apnea Products

The first thing to know about sleep apnea products is that they cannot be obtained over the counter or without a doctor's prescription because sleep apnea is a serious condition that warrants a doctor's examination and supervision. Sleep apnea is not as easy to solve as losing a little weight, quitting smoking, or using nasal breathing strips at night. Sleep apnea cannot be controlled by the person; the airway collapses or becomes obstructed involuntarily, preventing air from reaching the lungs. In order to correct the problem, sleep apnea products must do something to ensure that the airway remains open and clear.

Currently, the most common sleep apnea product is the cpap machine. CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure and helps prevent sleep apnea by continually pumping an unbroken stream of air into the lungs. This stream of air continues during inhalation and exhalation, so the airway is never given the opportunity to collapse and restrict air flow. This cpap machine is highly effective in preventing sleep apnea and is easy to use. Sleep apnea sufferers only have to wear the breathing mask that is connected to the cpap machine while sleeping to achieve a restful night's sleep without breathing cessation or sleep cycle interruption.

The other non-surgical sleep apnea product is called an intraoral dental appliance. It is designed and fitted to the person's individual mouth by a dentist and works by keeping the airway open. It is currently gaining popularity among doctors and sleep apnea sufferers because it is more comfortable for users and there is less occurrence of side effects. Although there seems to be few sleep apnea products available to deal with this solution, the ones that are currently in use are very effective and should be tried by sleep apnea sufferers before other options are considered.

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