Sleep apnea is one of the most common medical conditions today, even though very few people understand what it’s all about!
The condition itself is when a person stops breathing while asleep. This isn’t done intentionally, but it occurs when the airway is blocked. When breathing starts back up, the person will often gasp for air and in doing so, will wake up for a very short time. In most cases, the person won’t even know that he/ she has woken up. The whole process can repeat itself dozens of times per hour, and overall effect is that the person never actually receives a full night of sleep.
The consequences of sleep apnea are, predictably, pretty serious. People often suffer from a variety of physical problems and mental stresses that are associated with chronic sleep deprivation. The worst part of it all is that sleep apnea is incredibly difficult to diagnose, since most patients don’t even realize that they’re suffering from it!
There are many ways to treat sleep apnea, luckily. The most effective way is through the use of CPAP machines, or CPAP masks. These sleep apnea masks work by forcing air through the person’s nose and/or mouth, thereby keeping the airway open and forcing the person to continue breathing.
The masks really aren’t as uncomfortable as you might think! While they definitely take some getting used to, CPAP masks end up being incredibly beneficial because they allow patients to receive the sleep they really need.