Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder associated with breathing pauses. Multiple shallow breaths during breathing characterize it. Visible indication of a person with sleep apnea is the loud choking sound produced. Two types of the disorder that are common are obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when there is a relaxation of the throat muscles. Central apnea, however, is associated with failure of the brain to send desired signals to the muscles hence hindering breathing system (Sleep Apnea 7).
Continuous positive airway pressure therapy is a kind of therapy where a machine is used to help a person with obstructive sleep apnea. It facilitates efficient breathing during sleeping. It works in a manner that the throat pressure is increased hence no contraction of muscles occurs during inhalation. The therapy is very critical in preventing the catastrophic effects that include death (Santin, & Godoy 4).
The most prevalent type of sleep disorder is obstructive apnea. When one or those around are victims of obstructive apnea, it is recommended to use CPAP therapy. However, it is not an easy task when adhering to the applications of the therapy. It, therefore, affects the lives of the victims or their family members in several ways.
Sleep apnea results in chronic deprivation of sleep. The results include the sleepiness in the daytime; poor reflect action, poor levels of concentration and increase in the occurrence of road accidents. Health problems that occur include high blood pressure, diabetes, diseases of the heart, obesity and stroke. Untreated sleep apnea causes poor performances in the day-to-day activities such as school, industries, and other workplaces (Santin, & Godoy 31).
CPAP has been an essential therapeutic tool in combatting these challenges. There are several benefits associated with CPAP therapy. CPAP is associated with the reduction in the weight loss of the patient with sleep apnea. Inflammation control, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia are the known benefits of sleep disorders.
CPAP has positive effects on the oxygen concentration of blood. The patients with sleep apnea usually have increased the risk of the stroke and myocardial infarction. A collapse of the airways typically leads to the reduction in the levels of oxygen and subsequently increases the concentration of carbon dioxide. CPAP, therefore, prevents an increase in the blood pressure and inflammation. It also prevents increase in the glucose intolerance (Santin, & Godoy 44).
The other benefit of CPAP therapy is an improvement in the quality of life. It reduces the snoring and hence minimizes the disturbances during sleep. It makes the life of those around better. From experience, it is disturbing to spent time with someone with sleep apnea. It is, therefore, good news to have such valuable therapeutic tool as CPAP.
The successful treatment of the sleep apnea leads to a better sleep quality. The sleep is associated with the improvement of the happiness. Having one good night with gentle sleep for years often is associated with improvement of other aspects of life such as the better psychological ability of a person. With a sound sleep, one can be able to make right decisions in life.
As CPAP is adopted in the treatment of the patients with sleep apnea, it improves the societal wellbeing. The health care costs and hospitalization are significantly reduced. It, therefore, improves the standard of living for the families. The successful treatment of these disorders is beneficial to us all as a society. It is highly recommended to adopt treatment of disorders to avoid health and personal consequences (Sleep Apnea 12).
My uncle, James, had been snoring for a while. However, he did not think much about the snoring since his dad did snore too. His wife, Maria, got concerned when she realized that her husband frequently stopped breathing while asleep. She realized more urgency when she noticed that her husband could occasionally choke during sleep. On visiting the doctor, James was sent for a sleep study which showed that he stopped breathing up to 125 times per hour. He could not believe this.
Works Cited
"Sleep Apnea." Encyclopedia of Neuroscience: 3717. Web.
Santin, Julia, Dudley S. Dinner, Hans L??ders, and Jaime Godoy. "Sleep Apnea as a Function of Sleep Stage." Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology 5.4 (2008): 351. Web.
"Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome." SpringerReference (2009). Web.
