Sleep Apnea & Other Sleep Disorders

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition that affects many people.  It can be genetic or it can be related to how much fat a person carries.  While it can affect anyone, the three greatest "risk" factors are being male, middle-aged, and fat.  Most suffers aren't even aware of the most notable symptoms.  What they do know is that they are frequently tired no matter how much they sleep.  It is usually a bed partner that points out the tell-tale signs of apnea:  extreme snoring, not breathing for periods of time during sleep, and gasping and choking for air.  The apnea sufferer actually wakes up during the gasping although he or she is rarely aware of it.  The result is that he or she never gets a good nights sleep.  The proximate cause of the snoring and breathing problems is that the throat has essentially collapsed which blocks the airway.

The good news is that apnea is fairly easy to treat.  There are surgical options, but, the most common treatment is by use of a CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) or BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Air Pressure) machine.  The basic intent and functioning of both machines are similar.  When going to bed the patient wears some form of mask which is attached to the machine and pressurized air is blown through flexible hosing to the mask.  The pressure of the air keeps the patient's throat open.  The difference between a CPAP and a BiPAP is that a CPAP uses a constant air pressure, but, the BiPAP blows at a higher pressure during the inhale portion of a breathing cycle than during the exhale portion.  People have different preferences for the machines.  It seems that the CPAP is the most popular.  I have been using one since 1994.  During my first sleep study I briefly used a BiPAP but I didn't care for it.  

In addition to having two different machine types there are different types of masks, different types of gear to hold the mask in place, and other parts and accessories to consider.  The web is, of course, chock full of resources for apnea suffers.  Below you will find a number of links that you might find helpful.  But first, a silly sleep apnea cartoon: