Have you ever literally lost your breath during sleep? If you have then it just might be called Sleep Apnea. Neurologists figure out that this disease happen because you miss breaths while sleeping, and the pattern lasts virtually all through your sleep, with different patterns like a three-second or more shift in the EEG frequency, which is measured at C3, C4, O1 or O2, or perhaps a blood oxygen desaturation of about three to four percent, or even the twin discomfort of arousal and desaturation. An overnight sleep test known as polysomnogram is conducted to find out whether a person is affected by this disease.
There are three different forms of this disease: the central, the obstructive and the complex, the last being a combination of the previous two.
Do not be afraid. This is a curable disease. You can follow the steps and get rid of it pretty easily.
- By using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, you can splint the air passages of the patient, forcing him/her to breathe easily and rightly. If a person is skipping breaths, this device does not allow such from happening. Some doctors go for the Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT), which can be prescribed by them as well. This is a mouthpiece fitted to one’s lower jaw to bring out the mouth and open the air passage within.
- Sleep laterally, and you would feel the difference. Weirdly enough, if you sleep in a lateral position, this problem does not occur. However, remember, a lot of people start with the lateral sleeping position, but can assume another position during sleep, or cannot sleep because of the position.
- Drugs like Acetazolamide and other such stuff have known to be effective against this. These products lower the blood pH and enhance breathing. In a lot of cases, oxygen in small doses is also administered.
- Avoid certain drugs used during surgery. These drugs have a nasty aftermath which does not agree with the body at all.
- Drinking green tea might help a lot. Apparently, it has been proven that the elements in green tea consist of chemicals that can protect the brain against the ill effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- Sometime, a recent shift in lifestyle can make a severe problem in the way you breathe. The sudden shift of one’s lifestyle is considered to be a major reason for sudden apnea. So, you can try going back to the former lifestyle to see if the breathing pattern changes.
- You can also undergo corrective surgery to prevent the problem from becoming a chronic development. Your operation would consider of different surgical procedures like Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), Maxillomandibular advancement and Tracheostomy, which can change the way you breathe.
If you are diagnosed with apnea, you would have to consider implants. Overall, this can be a bad problem to have, and the best way to deal with it is by not letting it become a major problem, and finishing it off before it becomes so.
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