Restful sleep is important to everyone because restful sleep promotes good physical and mental health, elevates peoples moods, and gives them the energy to meet the day. However, for various reasons, many people are not satisfied with their sleep and are desperately trying new ways to improve it. For some people, the reason behind their poor sleep is directly linked to their breathing, or rather, to sleep apnea.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that causes an individual to stop breathing for periods of time throughout the night. This disorder is relatively common, with a higher probability in individuals over forty-five. All age groups, however, can be affected.
Existing on a spectrum, individuals with sleep apnea may be in the mild, moderate, or severe categories. These categories are defined by the number of times a person’s breathing becomes obstructed during their sleep cycle. These are referred to as “episodes”. For example, mild apnea is defined as between five and fourteen episodes per hour. However, in severe cases, a person may experience over one hundred episodes per hour.
The Effects Of Sleep Apnea
Many people are not aware they have sleep apnea, especially if they sleep alone. Effects, however, can be felt throughout their day in the form of fatigue despite a full night’s sleep. Other common symptoms are headaches, irritability, dry mouth and throat, mood swings, and weight gain. During an apnea episode, a person is likely to cough or choke in their sleep as their airway constricts. Other symptoms include snoring or breathing loudly or breathing through the mouth.
What To Do
Depending on the cause of an individual’s sleep apnea, the treatment will be different. In many cases, lifestyle changes such as becoming more active and losing weight are all that is necessary to reverse the disorder. Many sleep apnea suffers turn to the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine with great effect. However, sleep apnea is also sometimes caused by an excess of tissue in the back of the throat, which can easily be corrected by simple surgical procedures performed by an Otolaryngologist.
Where To Go
Individuals suffering from Sleep Apnea in Bethlehem PA are encouraged to visit Allen ENT. They provide innovative treatments for a full range of ear, nose and throat disorders as well as Sleep Apnea in Bethlehem PA. Visit our website for more information.
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