What's the Difference Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea?

We usually hear sleep apnea being talked about as a condition that's signified by loud, chronic snoring. But that's not always the case. When a person suffers from obstructive apnea, they snore as air pushes past a totally or partially blocked airway, with the breathing interruptions happening at least 5 and sometimes in excess of 30 times an hour. If you share your bed with someone who hasn't resolved his or her obstructive apnea, you know how annoying this can be. Not only do the breathing interruptions result in your partner's moving from a state of deep sleep to light sleep, but they can have the same effect on you, leaving both of you feeling tired, irritable and unable to concentrate during waking hours.

However, if your partner suffers from central apnea, you may not be aware that he or she is experiencing sleep apnea. Unlike obstructive apnea that results from a block airway, central apnea is caused by the brain's ineffectively communicating the correct breathing actions to the breathing muscles. Consequently, the sufferer intermittently gasps for air instead of snoring. Central apnea is less common that obstructive apnea, but it's no less dangerous to a person's long-term health. Both obstructive and central apnea can increase a person's risk for a myriad of negative health conditions, including high blood pressure, hypertension, heart failure, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, obesity, depression and poor concentration. But the most damaging effect of sleep apnea is its weakening of the immune system. As with all sleep problems, the insufficient sleep that results form apnea causes immune cells to function with less efficiency and therefore decreases the body's ability to fight off infection and disease.

So, what's the best way to determine the presence of apnea and then resolve it? The first step is to make an appointment with your general physician or schedule a consultation with a sleep medicine clinic. Your physician may be able to conclude that you suffer from apnea upon conducting a physical investigation, especially considering that enlarged tonsils and obesity commonly result in obstructive apnea. But when apnea is suspected and its cause isn't immediately obvious, receiving a polysomnogram from a sleep clinic is the best way to determine the cause of apnea, especially in the case of central apnea.

A polysomnogram is a non-invasive procedure that uses sensors to monitor a person's brain functions and physical movements as they sleep. After the test reveals the nature and the cause of the apnea, the correct course of treatment in determined. Apnea treatments range from sleep masks that prevent the closing of airways to prescription medication to surgical procedures, with surgery being the least common treatment.

Whatever course of apnea treatment your physician recommends, it's important that you or your partner receive the treatment as soon as possible. If surgery is recommended and you begin to feel that the sleep disturbances and daytime tiredness are preferable to undergoing an operation, remember that untreated apnea predisposes you serious medical conditions that are also likely to require surgery.

Snoring is the most common sign of obstructive sleep apnea. But just because you don't snore doesn't mean that you don't have sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea usually occurs without snoring but is equally dangerous. For help with apnea and other sleep problems, contact your physician or a sleep clinic. Visit FusionSleep.com for more information and get a good nights rest.

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Australian research weight and sleep Apnoea is the direct link between the severity.

Study sleep clinic by Newcastle his patients of the severity of the sleep apnoea is directly connected to the weight that is showing. 20 years, to examine the records after his patient BMI weight gain, they increase the frequency of apnoeas became clear.

There is a long sleep apnoea and, being overweight, but so directly between the connection between the two displays links to research, find this funny. The average man and woman in 12 10kg kg they visit first clinic, but why don't they put the weight for a specific reason was selected, their sleep apnoea increase the severity of a clear when the results were.

Weight and sleep Apnoea closely linked

Who clinic's data analysis, Dr. Jeffry Pretto said: "body mass index each time you connect to the people actually breathe, stop or slow down the how many times their breathing to the greatly-is very much a marker. Their sleep apnoea of severity, the person's body weight goes worse. Another interesting find if they have a body mass index of 40 is an instance of the severe obesity-. In 1987, again we were referring to the user to only 3% we will morbid obesity is classified as a sleep study. In 2007, he went up to 15%. It is five times gone. "

Sleep apnoea for successful treatment without it can be a vicious cycle. Active giving less energy during the day, tired and apnoea sleep to do the exercise. This get you weight, increase the severity of your apnoea, you are much more helpless. The cycle goes on. Some people also increased CARB cravings, weight gain and fatigue in the lead.

If you can break the cycle, apnoea treatment for the first to get. CPAP therapy, sleep apnoea, for the most successful and widely adopted is the treatment or mitigate further activation and exercise during the day so that the energy and passion to provide the frequency of apnoeas can dramatically reduce.

There won in the opposite direction, repeat more energy, more exercise, weight, less apnoeas, lose the more energy it takes determination, such as., willpower and patience, but the weight loss you sleep apnoea can reduce the severity of the, in some cases to ease it completely.

Easily said, well at least if possible, and ideally your current body weight is to keep trying this important and sleep apnoea, if suffering from while you are performing a gradual weight loss. Sleep apnoea, one of the major issues it is usually very late, average approximately 7 pain, by which time most people gets 40 years after diagnosis and life style changes, implement it becomes very difficult.

Forum by one of our members, scourserpaul, just the Atkins diet to reduce their weight. His sleep apnea and diet thread that can follow the progress of.

Sleep apnoea when weight loss away from easy, but you go along to apply the previously mentioned the positive cycle gets to start easily. So certainly is worth working towards concerted health benefits decrease sleep apnoea is not limited only to.

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Australian study shows a direct connection between the weight and the severity of sleep apnea

A study conducted by a sleep clinic in Newcastle has shown that the seriousness of sleep apnea patients was directly related to its weight. After the examination of records of 20 years, it became clear that, as their patients have gained weight and increased your BMI, the frequency of its apnoeas increased.

There has been a link between sleep apnea and overweight, but it is interesting to find a study that shows the relationship between the two so directly. On average men put 10 kg and 12 kg of women when for the first time, they visited the clinic, but while no specific reason was nominated for because they put on weight, increasing the severity of your sleep apnea was a consequence of course.

Weight and sleep apnea are closely linked

Dr Jeffry Pretto, who made the analysis of clinical data, said: "how many times each time people actually stop breathing, or delay your breath significantly-this brand is very attached to the body mass index. How bodyweight people rises, the severity of your sleep apnea gets worse. Another interesting conclusion is the occurrence of severe obesity-that is if they have a body mass index of more than 40. In 1987, only 3 percent of people who were referred to us for sleep studies that we classify as having morbid obesity. In 2007, which was up 15 percent. He is gone by a factor of five. "

Without successful treatment for sleep apnea can become a vicious cycle. Sleep apnea makes you tired during the day, giving it less energy to be active and exercise. This takes you to gain weight, increasing the severity of their apnea, making it even more apathetic. The cycle goes on and on. Some people also blame cravings for carbohydrates increase fatigue, which leads to weight gain.

To break the cycle, you first need to get treatment for sleep apnea. CPAP therapy treatment, the most successful and widely adopted for sleep apnea, will relieve or greatly reduce the frequency of apnoeas, giving you the energy and enthusiasm during the day to allow you to be more active and exercise.

From there, the circle repeats itself in the opposite direction, more energy, more exercise, lose weight, less apnoeas, more energy, etc. It takes determination, perseverance and patience, but by weight loss can reduce the severity of your sleep apnea and, in some cases, inasmuch it completely.

While easier said then done, if you are suffering from sleep apnea, then it is important to try to at least keep your current body weight, if possible, and ideally Look gradually lose weight. One of the biggest problems with sleep apnea is it typically gets diagnosed too late, on average about seven years of suffering, when most people are more than 40 and a lifestyle change becomes very difficult to implement.

One of our Forum members, scourserpaul, started now using the Atkins diet to reduce your weight. You can track your progress on your thread sleep apnea and diet.

Weight loss when you have sleep apnea is far from easy, but it gets easier as you go along as previously mentioned the positive cycle takes effect. The health benefits are not confined only to sleep apnea reduced, so it's certainly worth making a concerted effort to.

View the original article here