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Three Shocking Facts About Sleep Apnea You Can’t Afford to Ignore

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So you’ve just been diagnosed with sleep apnea ? a condition that affects as many as 18 million Americans’ nightly sleep patterns. Now what?

It’s likely that your doctor has informed you of the basics of living with sleep apnea; how the frequent pauses in your breathing while you sleep can last up to several minutes at a time, which can lead to negative health effects at best and can be life-threatening at worst. The condition occurs almost twice as frequently in men than it does in women, and between two and four percent of Americans have an undiagnosed case of sleep apnea.

But do you know everything you should about your sleep apnea diagnosis? Here are three of the most overlooked sleep apnea causes, treatments like CPAP mask pillows and health effects that every patient should know:

CPAP machines are an effective treatment ? when used correctly

To treat this condition, a growing number of patients use CPAP machines to help regulate their nighttime breathing, yet a shocking 80% of patients surveyed aren’t using their CPAP mask pillows and machines enough to keep them safe from the negative effects of sleep apnea. With that statistic in mind, it’s imperative to make sure you’re using the right CPAP products ? and using them correctly. Make sure you purchase your CPAP mask from an authorized, licensed dealer that your doctor recommends. If you purchase from an unauthorized source, the chances of buying an improperly fitted mask are higher ? and CPAP masks that don’t fit you properly can ruin your teeth and jaw’s natural positioning or even increase your chances of an apneic episode.

Sleep apnea sufferers don’t just have trouble sleeping

Did you know that the body’s production of human growth hormone is disrupted when one has sleep apnea? As a result, people with apneic episodes are often more likely to be overweight due to insufficient growth hormone. This is because lower human growth hormone production in turn leads to reduced levels of testosterone and a decrease in lean muscle mass, which both contribute to weight gain.

Letting your sleep apnea go untreated can be deadly

As stated before, sleep apnea’s effects range from harmful health conditions like heart disease and stroke to death. In fact, approximately 38,000 deaths happen each year as a result of cardiovascular problems that could have been prevented with proper sleep apnea treatment. Additionally, sleep apnea patients who let their condition go untreated are four times more likely to suffer a stroke than those who properly use their CPAP mask pillows. Because of this, ensuring you’re correctly treating your condition can truly be life-saving.

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Sleep Apnea Is Almost Twice as Common in Men Than Women

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Even though you had been out of town and sleeping somewhere other than your own bed you felt rested. In fact, now that you think about it, those five days that you spent in the rented house are some of the best night’s sleep you have had in awhile. As soon as you returned home, however, the restless and sleepless nights returned again. Three nights of waking up nearly every hour, tossing and turning, struggling to find a way to get comfortable. You could not figure out what was the difference.
And then, a week after you returned home your husband had to go out of town for three nights. Again, you found yourself sleeping peacefully through the night. Barely waking up before morning.
Mystery solved.
You were not causing the lack of sleep. It was not caused by the bed. The tossing and turning were a result of your husband’s endless snoring. Sleep without him, you rested. Sleep with him, you wake up exhausted.
You have always known that your husband snored, you just did not realize that it was causing you to lose so much sleep until you had a few night’s of really good rest.
No more arguments. You insisted that your husband make an appointment to see what was going on. After doing some research, you suspect sleep apnea. You are crossing your fingers that the upcoming appointment will solve the problem and you can get back to sleeping through the night. You hope his sleep will also be more restful.
Sleep Apnea Machines Help Patients Get the Rest They Need
Studies indicate that men are almost twice as likely to suffer from sleep apnea than women. Frighteningly, sleep apnea sufferers may suffer as many as suffer as many as 60 apneas per hour. Not only are these sleep interruptions an indicator of other problems, they obviously also make for difficult mornings and long days. Without enough sleep, everyone’s health will suffer. Consider some of the other common health conditions of people who suffer from sleep apnea:

  • Asthma patients face an almost 40% greater risk for sleep apnea than asthma-free participants.
  • People with an untreated case of sleep apnea face a risk of stroke that is four times as likely as those who do not have sleep apnea.
  • Untreated sleep apnea sufferers are three times more likely to have heart disease than those who do not have sleep apnea.
  • Sleep apnea is prevalent in an estimated 18 million Americans.

In many cases, doctors prescribe CPAP machines for sleep apnea patients. Once diagnosed, the success of this treatment requires finding the best CPAP mask. In many instances, the best CPAP mask is only found after trying several different models. Working closely with a health care professional and a CPAP supplier will help patients find the best solutions in a shorter time frame.
Unfortunately, even after patients have found the best CPAP mask, they do not use it as often as they should. In fact, studies indicate that nearly 50% of the patients who start using a CPAP machine stop its use within one to three weeks. When it is not used, it is obviously not providing all of the benefits that would help the patient.