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Sleep Apnea - the Not So Silent Killer

Little Known Sleep Apnea Information

"After my diagnosis, I dug just a little into sleep apnea and I soon discovered there are three types," Jerry Asbeck noted. "They are…"

• Obstructive sleep apnea which is triggered by a blockage of the airway in your throat.

• Central sleep apnea occurs when your brain forgets to tell your body to breathe.

• Positional sleep apnea which is seen in those that sleep on their backs.

"I learned that nine out of 10 people with this condition (like me) suffer from obstructive sleep apnea," Asbeck said. "What that means is either your tongue, uvula or tonsils are blocking the airway in your throat preventing enough air from getting to your lungs as you sleep. Excessive fat around your neck can also be a problem."

During an obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) episode breathing stops. In response your body unleashes adrenaline which gets an immediate heart-pounding reaction. It jars you awake so you can breathe again. But as you can imagine over time this can put a serious strain on your heart.

Central sleep apnea is much rarer and most common with the over 65 crowd. With this type of apnea the muscles you breathe with fail to get the "breathe now signal" from your brain. That makes this very different from OSA.

Some with central apnea get relief from a drugs like acetazolamide.

"But there's a bit more to treatment of obstructive sleep apnea than swallowing a pill," Jerry said with a sigh. "Most often, after a night in a sleep clinic, you'll be prescribed a CPAP machine like I was. Which delivers positive air pressure, most often through a mask that you wear, to assist in keeping your air passages open at night."

It's not necessarily fun but sleep apnea information like this should help you get a good nights sleep.

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