Sleep Apnoea CPAP Therapy
Sleep Apnoea is a condition that affects a large
proportion of the population. Many sufferers do not realise that they are
affected by it. In fact, your partner is probably in a better position to
notice whether you suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)
than you are.
An obvious symptom of OSA is snoring, however not
all snorers suffer from OSA. And sometimes OSA is a silent condition. When you sleep your tongue and soft palate naturally hold your airway open allowing you to breathe. If the muscles relax
too much, breathing in will cause the floppy muscles to vibrate and sound a
snore.
OSA differs from snoring when the throat is
particularly narrow or the muscles relax too much during sleep causing the
airway to become blocked. The obvious give away that differentiates OSA from
snoring is a snore followed by a period of silence. After a period of time
(anywhere from 10 seconds to 2 minutes) the brain will realize that there is a
lack of oxygen and arouse the body to wake. This arousal may not be on a
conscious level and the sleeper may not realize it. This cycle is repeated all
through the night and the sleeper never falls into a deep, refreshing sleep.
Instead they feel tired, irritable and often lack concentration and memory.