Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite! Unfortunately, bed bugs isn’t the only problem you have to worry about. Did you know that sleep apnea is prevalent in almost 18 million Americans? In addition, two to four percent of all Americans suffer from an undiagnosed case of sleep apnea, meaning one in 50 American don’t even know they have it.
Sleep apnea is a common, yet potentially dangerous, condition that affects the sufferers breathing during sleep. Those who suffer from sleep apnea can experience up to 60 or more apneas, described as brief periods of not breathing, in a single hour. Meaning that in a single hour, breathing starts and stops again repeatedly. Often times, the brain tries to counteract this by making the sufferer cough in order to start breathing again. Not only is this vicious cycle extremely disruptive, it can also lead to number of different health problems and complication.
For example, those who suffer from an untreated case of sleep apnea are faced with a risk of stroke that is up to four times higher than those who are not afflicted. In addition, untreated sleep apnea sufferers must also face a three times higher risk of developing heart disease. In fact, according to data from the National Commission on Sleep Disorder Research, roughly 38,000 deaths occur on yearly basis related to cardiovascular problems that can be linked to sleep apnea in one way or another.
With that being said, there is still hope and a variety of treatment options for sleep apnea sufferers. CPAP machines, in addition sleep apnea masks such as BIPAP masks and CPAP masks, are extremely effective and common treatment options for sleep apnea suffers. CPAP machines come with a mask that is then fitted over the patient’s nose and mouth. They work by providing continuous positive airway pressure that allows the patient to receive air at all times, thus prevent episodes or incidences of apnea from occurring.
