Obstructive sleep apnea can increase death risk

For those of you that not taking OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) seriously should think again because according to experts at John Hopkins University in Baltimore people that suffer sleep apnea are more likely to die from any cause than other people that do not have sleep apnea.

What makes sleep apnea different from snoring is, sleep apnea cause interruptions on breathing when sleeping. These interruptions may happen more than one time, and this can cause serious health problem such as high blood pressure, heart failure and stroke. The risk is more obvious in men aged from 40 to 70 years old, regardless of sex, weight, smoking or not smoking.

According to NHLBI (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute) about 12 million adults in America have sleep apnea and most of them are not diagnosed and treated. In a more severe case of sleep apnea, the sufferer stops breathing from 20 to 30 second when sleeping and this force the sufferer to wake up gasping for air.

Sleep apnea commonly linked to obesity, so one of the treatments for sleep apnea is weight loss. Other than weight loss, the use of CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) that applies pressure to the sufferer’s throat to keep it from collapsing is one of the most successful treatments.

Surgery is also an option, this surgery may include the removal of tonsil. Mouth guards and jaw supporter can also be a good option for treatments. It is a good idea for you to check whether you have sleep apnea or not knowing the risk that you must face if you let this condition untreated.