Last fall, after feeling tired during the day, wanting to close my eyes while driving and my husband's constant complaining of me snoring loudly, I decided to schedule a Doctor's appointment.
What I learned after a series of sleep studies and other evaluations was, that I suffered from sleep apnea. It happens to be a common sleep disorder. A person with untreated sleep apnea stops breathing periodically while they sleep. Now mine wasn't overly serious; I only stopped breathing 15 times per hour. It's no wonder I was tired, gaining weight and irritable. If I had let it go untreated, it would be dangerous and could have even lead to various health complications.
In the most common form of sleep apnea, known as obstructive sleep apnea, the muscles in your larynx collapse, preventing the flow of air to the lungs. The brain, recognizes a decrease of oxygen in the blood and then sends a signal to the body to wake you from sleep to take a breath. Sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, an increased chance of heart failure or stroke to name just a few.
If you think you suffer from sleep apnear, consult your doctor so that an action plan can be created for you.
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3 comments:
Thanks for the great information and I am glad you discovered what was going on!
Take care!
What kind of treatment did they recommend? I think I might have this as well. I am always very tired throughout the day.
I have machine with a mask that I wear. It pushes air through my nose and allows me to breath better.
If you think you have sleep apnea, get it checked. It's worth looking into.
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