What is sleep apnea and how to treat it?
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Sleep apnea is a condition that most often affects men. Women relatively rarely suffer from this ailment.

It usually occurs in adults over 40 years of age. Its main symptom is snoring, which appears notoriously right after deep sleep. It is so burdensome and loud that it is able to wake up the people nearby. Prolonged snoring can be so loud that it will wake up people in the next room. We can also add other symptoms to snoring, such as:

  1. frequent urination, 
  2. awakening, 
  3. uncontrolled bedwetting 
  4. insomnia, 
  5. continuous night activity known as restless legs syndrome. 

A person who snores regularly and wakes up at the same time has problems with rest. Habitual lack of sleep can even cause death. However, the most important symptoms of sleep deprivation are symptoms of chronic fatigue, which may translate into work or other activities. The most frequently observed include:

  1. lack of concentration, 
  2. problems with memory, 
  3. sleep rhythm disturbances, including uncontrolled naps during the day, 
  4. morning headaches 
  5. Heart arythmia,
  6. problems with potency, 
  7. depression.  

When you notice a few significant symptoms along with symptoms of insomnia, it is worth seeing a doctor. These symptoms do not give a definite answer to the prevalence of sleep apnea. Also, be aware that there are many varieties of sleep apnea. Only 1% to 4% of the population suffer from total sleep apnea. Sleep apnea, closely correlated with snoring, is called obstructive apnea, abbreviated as OSA. 1 million Poles suffer from this type of disorder.

When the doctor determines that sleep apnea is the cause of your sleep problems, he will use several diagnostic methods. Here are some suggestions for checking the quality and structure of your sleep:

  1. Simplified method – consists in attaching a monitoring device to the patient. A device attached to the patient’s chest monitors the following parameters, i.e. chest movements, mouth / nose oxygen flow, blood oxygen saturation (saturation), electrophysiological parameters (ECG). These tests can be performed using polygraphs or sonographs. 
  2. Screening method – involves placing a small box on the patient’s forearm. It is a monitoring device that records the patient’s parameters, including saturations. 
  3. Polysomnographic method – allows you to measure more parameters. It is a very accurate device that requires a stay of one night in the hospital. With this tool, your doctor can pinpoint the exact cause of your sleep deprivation disorder and distinguish it from sleep apnea. 

When the doctor carefully examines the patient and makes the final diagnosis: You have sleep apnea, you start treating the disorders. One of the treatment methods is CPAP machines. Thanks to them, the patient can sleep peacefully, without waking up snoring. The CPAP device looks like an oxygen therapy mask, which allows us to take a larger dose of oxygen than during standard breathing.

Description of CPAP machines – a short presentation of the device

This type of apparatus allows you to maintain a constant pressure during sleep. A pressure generator with permanent filtration supplies the device with clean air. It is free from any pollutants, heavy metals and mites. Therefore, the device can be used by allergy sufferers who are allergic to pollen and dust. The generator creates a positive pressure that effectively opens the throat opening for oxygen delivery.

When snoring, a short, thick section of the throat can create blockages that create partial airblocks. When you inhale, the soft muscles of the throat that support the tongue and the soft palate relax. When the throat is relaxed, some of its parts are made to vibrate, which causes a characteristic sound to be emitted from the throat space. Thus, snoring is produced, which can be eliminated by a supply of air injected under pressure.

The device with the help of pipes up to 1,8 meters long and oxygen masks forces air inside. During this process, up to 150 liters of clean air can be produced, which gives much better parameters than traditional breathing. The pushed air with the use of special apparatus makes the soft muscles tense. The tongue and soft palate readily accept the supply of air that passes to the entire body. This is the simple way to prevent vibrational movements of the throat muscles. The air supply makes the balance between the inhaled and exhaled air normalize.

All this operation of the device is monitored by the control panel. It is thanks to the connection of oxygen to the mask that the device captures all air movements. On their basis, it determines whether the patient is breathing properly at that moment or is snoring. When the device determines that the patient is snoring every 10 seconds, it will pump air into the lungs, limiting the vibratory movements of the throat.

Other products available in our store

Apart from CPAP devices, we can use other types of devices. For sleep apnea, sklepvitalaire.pl recommends, among others, semi-automatic control devices. On the website you will find 100% automatic and BiPAP devices. These are devices that automatically switch between inspiratory and expiratory pressures. Their small design is great for transport. Devices for treating sleep apnea require numerous accessories. On the website, we can find a wide range of oxygen masks for each type and type of device.

We offer oxygen therapy devices. In addition to oxygen concentrators and numerous accessories, we have home systems for filling cylinders. For stationary concentrators, it offers two types of oxygen cylinders with continuous flow and pulse. The website also includes a rich set of aerosol therapy devices. These include portable and stationary inhalers. Nebulizers and inhalation chambers for the administration of drugs in the form of an aerosol. There are also filters for inhalers and air ducts on the website.

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