Frequently Asked Questions About Living Life With Sleep Apnea

CAN ANYONE DEVELOP SLEEP APNEA & WHY DOES IT HAPPEN?

Anyone can develop sleep apnea from children to old age. And sleep apnea can happen for a combination of causes so it’s important to know the risk factors and be able to identify when maybe it’s time to see a doctor because sleep is being interrupted. Most common sleep apnea is associated with soft tissue in the mouth that collapses during sleep, restricting breathing during sleep.

CAN SLEEP APNEA KILL?

Left untreated sleep apnea can have life-shortening consequences. The health effects of untreated sleep apnea can be very severe and serious and complicated from anxiety to high blood pressure, heart attack, or stroke, among others.

CAN SLEEP APNEA BE CURED?

Sleep apnea can be treated with the use of continuous positive airflow pressure, otherwise knowns as CPAP therapy. In combination with lifestyle changes while the severity of sleep apnea can be reduced, not always can sleep apnea be cured.

HOW DO SLEEP APNEA MACHINES WORK? ARE THEY LOUD?

CPAP therapy machines help a person breathe during sleep by increasing the air pressure in your throat so your airway doesn’t collapse when you breathe in. By providing oxygenated air into your lungs through a mask and tube it allows you to continue breathing while you sleep. Anyone who has any type of apnea throughout the night should use this type of therapy.

ARE SLEEP APNEA MACHINES COVERED BY INSURANCE? MEDICARE? or MEDICAID?

Check your specific health policy, but most health insurances according to the American Sleep Association cover portions of the costs for the use of CPAP machine with proof of continuous use for the entire time you have the equipment.

WHAT IS AHI AND WHEN IS SLEEP APNEA CONSIDERED SEVERE?

AHI is, Apnea-Hypopnea Index, this is the number of apneas or hypopneas recorded during an hour of sleep. While it’s normal for the average person to have less than five of these per hour, mild is less than 15 per hour, anything over 30 AHI events an hour is considered severe.

WHY DOES SLEEP APNEA MAKE YOU TIRED?

Getting a good night’s sleep for someone living with sleep apnea is a dream come true. Pun intended! The reason why you are tired is that your sleep is not restorative and your body is not getting the right quality/levels of sleep, non-rem and rem sleep, and not the right consistent levels of oxygen. The consistent levels of oxygen is important because, without it and dips of oxygen, the brain gets a signal to wake up and breathe, leaving you feeling very sleep deprived.

WHY IS SLEEP APNEA DANGEROUS

Aside from the fact you’re not breathing, oxygen deprivation puts a strain on your body both awake and asleep because of the lack of consistent oxygen flowing through your body, slowly your brain starts to lose some of its cognitive function. The lack of oxygen can also lead to other challenges such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver issues, sexual dysfunction, moodiness, and depression,