Sleep apnea – it’s important to get relief!
- Do you snore loudly?
- Are you often tired during the day?
- Does your partner say that you gasp for breath or stop breathing while you sleep?
- Are you older than 50?
- Is the circumference of your neck around your Adam’s apple bigger than 430 mm (man) and 405 mm (woman)?
- Is your mass (kg) divided by your length (meters) more than 35kg/m?
- Do you take medicine for high blood pressure?
- Do you fall asleep while driving during the day?
If you answered yes to five of these questions, you highly likely suffer from sleep apnea (also spelt apnoea). If you answered yes to three of the questions, the likelihood is reasonably high.
Do you suffer from sleep apnea without being aware of it?
This article gives you more information and advice about the condition.
The word apnea refers to the cessation of breathing. Sleep apnea is a condition that causes you to stop breathing while sleeping. You gasp for breath or snore because your airway is either fully or partially blocked and the airflow is obstructed. Sleep apnea can be extremely upsetting for your sleeping partner who may lie awake listening to whether your breathing restarts. Your partner falls asleep, only to be awoken by your loud snoring or gasps for breath. This happens due to lower blood oxygen levels resulting in an accumulation of carbon dioxide, which stimulates the breathing centre in the brain to gasp for breath.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common form of sleep apnea. OSA causes repeated closure of the airway when the muscles, which support the soft tissue of the airway, relax. The occurrence of OSA is aggravated by age, being overweight, allergies and enlarged tonsils.
Snoring often accompanies hypo apnea, which is when the airway only constricts.
Sleep apnea is associated with bad memory, feeling sleepy during the day (of which the most serious is falling asleep behind the steering wheel), headaches and a heightened risk of various illnesses, such as heart and blood circulation system diseases, diabetes and weight gain. OSA increases the risk of cardiac failure by 140%, stroke by 60% and chronic heart diseases by 30%.
A large percentage of people suffering from Type 2 diabetes suffer from sleep apnea. More Alzheimer patients, than others, suffer from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is also more prevalent in people with psychiatric problems.
Why not act immediately if PAP has no side effects? With a little more pressure in the airway – typically 1% extra – most people’s airway stays open. Positive airway pressure (PAP) is continuously maintained by the CPAP device. A person must just get used to the pipe and the mask. Waking up feeling energetic with a lower risk of chronic diseases and medication makes it more than worth it.
CPAP does not only put a stop to sleep apnea and snoring but also assists with weight loss.
Covid-19 has made us very aware of the importance of high oxygen levels and that PAP can also help people without sleep apnea. Appropriate models of two-level PAP devices (BiPAP), which are known for the treatment of central sleep apnea, are widely used as non-invasive ventilators to assist the ill with breathing and better absorption of oxygen – even at home.
CPAP/BiPAP machines, with the masks to maintain PAP, have optional oxygen ports. This creates an opportunity to obtain maximum value from the extra oxygen. A cheap and convenient way to assist a person without having to contend with empty cylinders is to combine the CPAP/BiPAP device with an oxygen concentrator, which is an “oxygen factory” in a container on wheels. Of course, a doctor should be consulted.
Berien CPAP joined the field a few years ago as independent entrepreneurs. We now deliver the best value for money, more affordable quality PAP devices and five-star service. We offer assistance nationwide – via courier and technology. Berien is a fully licenced enterprise with NAPPI codes, meaning medical aid support for the devices.
Stop suffering due to snoring! The solution is at your doorstep.
Contact Ben (083 637 3470) or Mias (072 125 6368).
