Sleep Apnea: Signs, Dangers and Remedies

Sleep Apnea: Signs, Dangers and Remedies

Snoring is an annoying condition but it may also be a sign of sleep apnea with can result in potential future health dangers.

Sleep apnea is caused when the body, unbeknownst to the individual, keeps waking itself up during the night. It is ever so slight but a snore, one of the signs of sleep apnea, can jolt you out of the REM (rapid eye movement) level of sleep. This level is extremely important as it allows the brain to get to some important house cleaning and info storing work. When it is interrupted these functions can suffer and, possibly over time, various adverse effects could occur.

According to WebMD untreated sleep apnea may lead to high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, depression, heart failure, headaches, cognitive decline and increased ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

Learn some sleep apnea signs, dangers and remedies so you may be able to enhance your health when you didn’t even know you could, or should.

Cutting Wood and More

It often sounds like cutting wood with a dull blade when someone is snoring. Such rumbling can be caused by a variety of factors which include: age, weight, a chronic sinus condition, family history, allergies or a physical blockage such as a large tongue or nasal barrier.

Snoring is probably one of the major factors that causes someone to develop sleep apnea. This is due to not only waking oneself up but also by the lack of oxygen being able to be replenished. A steady flow of oxygenated blood is essential for sleeping brain functions.

The six signs of sleep apnea are:

  • Loud snoring
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness
  • Waking up with dry mouth or sore throat
  • Suffering from headaches in the morning
  • Difficulty staying asleep
  • Problems focusing or concentrating during the day

Talk to your physician or naturopathic doctor if you feel you suffer from these symptoms on a regular basis.

It Goes Deep

There are three types of sleep apnea: Obstructive, Central and Complex.

Obstructive – This is obstructive sleep apnea or OSA. It presents when a physical blockage causes the soft tissue in the throat to collapse.

Central – The central nervous system does not receive the brain message to continually breathe.

Complex or Mixed – A combination of OSA and central sleep apnea.

A study by the UCLA School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA reported that,

“Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is accompanied by structural brain changes, as shown by neuroimaging findings from several groups. These neural changes likely contribute to central nervous system dysfunction in OSA, including psychological and physiologic comorbidities [simultaneous diseases].” (Journal Sleep 1/1/12)

The Huffington Post reported on a study from the Baylor College of Medicine which found that,

“Only one month of moderate OSA produces altered cerebrovascular function which could result in a stroke,” This is “a finding that highlights the detrimental impact OSA can have on the body.”

In addition, also reported was how,

“Researchers from Dresden University found that 91 percent of the patients in the study who have had a stroke, also had sleep apnea — and these people were also at an increased risk of silent stroke.”

Some Fixes

The six signs of sleep apnea seem like they can be applied to just about anything. Who isn’t tired during the day or struggles with an occasional morning headache? This is why sleep apnea can sometimes go misdiagnosed causing one to take medication unrelated to the cause.

Pay attention to the six signs and attempt some of these fixes to see if one or more may help:

  • Shed fat as most people with sleep apnea are overweight
  • Avoid inflammatory foods such as peanuts, gluten, pasteurized dairy, soy and corn
  • Incorporate daily cardiovascular exercise and mild weight training
  • Get adjusted by a chiropractor
  • Improve posture
  • Sleep on your side
  • Avoid alcohol, particularly at night
  • Clear nasal passages with saline spray before bed
  • Quit smoking

Talk to your healthcare practitioner to determine possible sleep apnea and discuss potential remedies such as those mentioned here.